One Life to Live
by phoenixnz
Summary: After a tragic event, Chloe finds herself re-examining her life, and going after the one man she always regretted not pursuing: Oliver Queen. NB: Some content may trigger, especially those who suffer from depression.
1. Chapter 1

I

When had her life become so mundane, Chloe thought as she made her way to the Ace of Clubs for her usual Friday night drinks with friends. Not that she didn't enjoy going out with them. For the most part. It was just that she didn't feel like going out and getting bombed like they did all the time. There was more to life than partying every weekend.

Of course, most of her friends had no idea what she used to do for a living. She'd spent over a year working for Oliver, or rather with Oliver Queen and her best friend Clark as their 'eye in the sky' so to speak. The problem with being Watchtower though was that when she plugged in to the virtual world the real Chloe Sullivan just didn't seem to exist anymore.

She'd been through it all. From battling super-powered strange visitors from another planet to fighting the forces of darkness, she thought when that was over she could settle into a life of monotony. When Perry White had been promoted to editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet, Chloe had decided to try getting her job back as a reporter, and got it.

Reporting was in her blood, or at least as far as she was concerned. Especially since her cousin, and best friend's wife, Lois Lane, was one half of the Planet's top investigative reporting team. For someone who had once claimed the last thing she wanted to do was sit at a desk job across from the most bumbling nerd in the office, she had certainly embraced it. Not that Chloe begrudged her cousin the top reporter status. Lois had earned it. As had Clark.

Lois and Clark had been married for close to three years now. After their disastrous first wedding had been disrupted by the forces of Darkseid, they had chosen to sneak off to some quiet little chapel in Gretna Green, of all places, taking only Clark's mother as their witness. They might have their share of ups and downs, especially with Clark being Superman. The duties of the red-and-blue clad superhero did tend to have a way of throwing cold water on any of their plans for romantic evenings in, but for all that, the couple were as much in love as ever.

Chloe sighed as she sat down in the crowded booth. She had no love life to speak of. She had one tragic failed marriage behind her, and been the object of obsession from a psychotic Kryptonian genetic creation which would have been the equivalent of an Earth mongrel dog. If said dog had been like eight feet tall with vicious spikes all over its body.

Since then, she'd gone out with a few guys but none of them seemed to last very long. Even sex had become just another boring, mundane activity that just didn't hold any spark for her.

"Chlo, you're not drinking?"

Chloe looked up at her cousin.

"You know, I'm really not feeling like it tonight."

"One drink," Clark insisted.

"I'm sorry guys, I'm just not in the mood."

"But ... Oliver's coming tonight," Lois said in protest. "You and Ollie always seem to have a good time together."

"That's because when we get together we're always getting drunk," Chloe pointed out. She loved Oliver Queen. Really she did. He was one of her closest friends after all. Still, he seemed to hide a lot of his insecurities in a bottle and she just couldn't deal with that.

Apologising for running out on them, Chloe decided to head for home, which was a tiny one-bedroom apartment. It was only slightly better than her friend Kathleen, who worked in the classifieds department and could only afford a one room apartment. The place was so bad that even the cockroaches avoided it like the plague.

Chloe unlocked the door and tossed her keys on the small table, kicking off her shoes and dropping her jacket on the floor. She was tired and depressed. It had been a rotten day with her boss yelling at her for half an hour and she just didn't have the heart to do anything.

She noticed her phone was blinking, indicating she had a message on her voicemail. She quickly dialled the number to access her messages.

You have one message, the voice told her, sounding more like a robot from a bad sci-fi movie.

"Hey Chloe, it's me," Kathleen said on the message. "I guess you're probably out with your friends. I just ... look, I just wanted to tell you how much I've valued your friendship. You know you're the only person in that shithole who ever seemed to give a damn about me and well, I just wanted you to know that it's not your fault, you know? I just couldn't do it anymore Chlo. I'm sorry. You're about as close to a friend as I've ever had ever since I started there and ..."

Chloe felt her heart pounding as she listened to her friend's voice. Kathleen sounded almost drunk, her words slurring, yet she knew Kathleen didn't drink.

Hands shaking, Chloe stopped the rest of the message and began dialling.

"Chloe? Are you at home?"

"Yeah. I need you."

"Is it an emergency?"

"I think so. Can you just get here? Like now?"

She had barely got the words out when Clark was landing on the balcony with Lois in his arms. Lois looked worried.

"What is it?"

"I need you to go and check on someone," she told Clark.

He frowned at her. "How is this ..."

"Clark, please, just do it," she said, aware of the anxiety in her voice. "I think she's in trouble."

"Who? Who's in trouble?"

"You know Kathleen in Classifieds?"

Lois and Clark shook their heads. Chloe bit her lip. While she understood how caught up they could get in their own lives, part of her resented that they had no idea who her friend was and how much the woman meant to her. Kathleen had had a difficult life, but Chloe had admired her for the strength she'd always denied having.

She grabbed her message pad and jotted down the address. She'd been to Kathleen's place once to check up on her when she was out sick and like everything else she seemed to have the knack for remembering little things like that.

Clark took the address, spun into his Superman suit and sped off. Lois put an arm around her.

"Chlo, you're white as a sheet," she said. "Why don't you talk about it?"

"There isn't much to talk about," she answered. "Lo, I think Kath ... you didn't hear her message. She sounded so strange."

Chloe paced the apartment, chewing nervously on her nails. Her cousin just watched her in silence. She didn't want to think the worst, but she had always been able to tell when something was wrong. It wasn't just the reporter in her, she thought.

Clark was back within ten minutes. Chloe could immediately tell from his face that the news was bad.

"Chloe, your friend ... it looks like she took an overdose. She was barely breathing when I got there. I think she'd been drinking too. There was half a bottle of vodka on the floor."

Chloe started to cry. "I knew she'd been feeling down lately but she seemed so happy today when I had lunch with her."

She should have recognised the signs, she thought. She'd read so many stories where a person had committed suicide and had shown symptoms of depression for days, yet on the last day they'd seemed so happy. It was as if they had finally made a decision to end their suffering and were free.

Why would Kathleen do it, she wondered. What could possibly have made her give up like this?

"I took her to the hospital," Clark said quietly. "They're pumping her stomach."

Chloe grabbed her jacket from the floor and put her shoes back on.

"I'm going to the hospital," she said.

"Chloe, what is that going to achieve? If they're pumping her stomach they won't want you in the way."

"Kathleen thought that no one cared enough about her and I want to show her that someone does care," she said firmly. "I'm going!"

The nurse in the ER at Met Gen wasn't helpful.

"I'm sorry, but unless you're family ..."

"She doesn't have any family," Chloe told her, wanting to stamp her foot. "Please! I just ... I need to know she's all right."

A doctor came out of one of the triage rooms, looking despondent.

"Do we have any i.d. on the suicide?" he asked. "The one Superman brought in?"

Chloe looked up at him. "Why? What is it?"

He stared at her, clearly surprised to see her there. "Are you family?"

"No. She doesn't have any family."

"I'm sorry to tell you this, Miss ..."

"Sullivan."

"Sullivan. She passed away a few minutes ago."

Chloe didn't even feel her cousin's arms around her, holding her tightly. She let out a long wail, protesting at the unfairness of it all.

"I'm very sorry for your loss," the doctor said, not unkindly.

Chloe spent the next few days walking around as if in a daze. Kathleen's suicide was the talk of the entire office. She slowly began to realise that she was the only one who really knew the older woman, who had kept to herself. It was only during the few times she and Chloe had talked that she'd ever opened up.

Kathleen Bryant had been just forty years old when she'd died. Chloe had met her a year earlier when they'd both ended up stuck in the lift after it had broken down. Kathleen was a very pretty woman, even with her face almost bare of make-up. Chloe had ended up with her mascara running down her face as they'd sweltered in the close confines of the elevator car, waiting for an hour for someone to fix the problem.

"God, now I'm going to look like a raccoon," she moaned, then laughed.

"No you won't," Kathleen said kindly, handing her a kleenex. "Here, you can wipe the worst of it. I even have a little mirror you can borrow."

Chloe beamed at her. There was just enough light from above for her to see her face and she wiped the streaks.

They ended up talking about their respective jobs.

"Do you like working in classifieds?" Chloe asked.

"Oh yeah, I get to deal with morons on a daily basis," Kathleen said with biting sarcasm.

Chloe found herself liking the older woman, who seemed to have a quick wit and a great sense of humour. She had often wondered on the days when they'd meet up for lunch or walking for a bit of exercise why people would overlook such an intelligent and funny person. Until she had realised that Kathleen was extremely, almost painfully shy. She would never even think of making the first move, even if a man had made it blatantly obvious he was interested in her. Kathleen remained completely oblivious of her attraction to the opposite sex. She was insecure about her looks and tried to hide as much as possible.

Chloe had sympathised with her but there were times when she became frustrated at her friend's lack of motivation to actually get out and do something with herself. She'd even offered to give her friend a makeover and take her out to meet people, but Kath had always begged off.

The thing was, Chloe thought as she walked away from the cemetery after the funeral, in which only about half a dozen people, including Lois and Clark, had shown up, she knew what Kathleen felt because she had gone through much the same thing in high school. She'd always been the smart one, rather than the pretty one. Even though people had told her she was beautiful, she just couldn't quite bring herself to believe it. To quote an old movie, the bad stuff was easier to believe.

"You gonna be okay, Chlo?" Lois said softly.

She nodded. "Yeah. I just need to be alone for a little while."

Lois looked at her dubiously, clearly wondering if she should leave her cousin alone at all. Chloe assured her she was fine. She just needed to think for a bit.

Getting in her car, Chloe drove almost automatically, without even thinking about her destination. She was surprised to find herself in Smallville. She'd been born in Metropolis and even though her father had moved them to Smallville in the eighth grade, she had still considered herself a city kid.

She drove past the site of the old Luthor mansion. It was still a hulking great ruin, even three and a half years after it had been burned down by the boy who had turned out to be, as Lois often referred to him, the 'genetic love child of Clark and Lex'.

Lex Luthor had seemingly returned from the dead three years ago. Chloe was never sure of exactly what had happened, since Lex had apparently lost his memory. From what Clark had told her, Lex had used his genetic material to create clones so he could repair damage to himself after an accident. The same accident which saw Clark lose his abilities for about a month.

Lex had re-formed Luthorcorp into LexCorp and it seemed that amnesia or no, the man was just as devious as ever. Not that Chloe ever got the chance to investigate him. She left that up to Lois and Clark now. She had earned her own spot writing human interest stories and while it wasn't as exciting as investigative work, it still gave her a sense of satisfaction.

She drove into town, passing by the old location of the Talon where she had lived for a good four years before the Suicide Squad had blown it up trying to kill her uncle Sam, who had once been an advocate of the Vigilante Registration Act. What was once her friend Lana's favourite spot for dwelling on times past had become a parking garage, courtesy of Lex Luthor.

A couple of hundred yards down the street was The Beanery. It had once had a bad reputation, especially after Lana had discovered a number of health violations. New owners had taken it over and the shop was now 'the' establishment for good coffee. Chloe found a parking spot and drove into it, getting out of the car and entering the shop.

She ordered a coffee and sat down in the sun, pulling out a thick envelope. As she unfolded the letter inside, she glanced out at the street. It was quiet, but then again it usually was in Smallville.

The waitress brought her coffee over and Chloe sipped it as she began to read.

Dear Chloe,

I know you are trying to understand why I did what I did. I guess there just comes a time when even a good friend can't help you fight the darkness any longer.

I remember what it was like three years ago. People were so filled with despair and hopelessness and there were times when I couldn't stop those dark thoughts creeping in. Then along came Superman and I really thought things would turn around for me. I was wrong.

You see, unlike so many others, I could never get rid of that darkness inside me. When I met you, you were the one person who cared enough to try to change that for me and I love you for that.

It's not your fault, you know. You tried to save me and I guess sometimes people just can't be saved.

Chloe, promise me something. That you won't let yourself end up like me. Sad and alone. You have so many great qualities about yourself and any guy would be nuts to let you go. Please, please, just promise me you won't let yourself go down the same road I did. I never had the courage to step up, to let my true potential shine through, but you ... you are a lot stronger than I ever was. Don't ever give that up.

You have one life to live, Chloe. Promise me you'll make the most of it. Don't waste it like I did.

I love you, Chloe. I just wish I had been strong enough to stay. I'm sorry I hurt you.

Love, Kath.

Chloe felt the tears streaming down her face as she put down the letter. She was startled to find someone had slipped into the booth opposite her.

"Hi," the man said. "You seemed so deep in your reading, I guess you didn't even realise I was here."

She blinked at him, brushing the tears away.

"Ollie?"


	2. Chapter 2

II

Oliver had a cup of coffee in front of him, which had Chloe wondering how long he had actually been sitting there.

"Um ..."

"A while," he said with a smile.

She frowned at him. "Since when did you become telepathic?"

He chuckled. "Your question was as plain as the cute little button nose on your face."

She automatically touched her nose self-consciously.

"I don't have a button nose."

"You do. It's cute."

"Stop that," she said, crinkling her nose at him.

"Stop what?"

"Stop flirting with me."

"Why? You know you love it." He sipped his coffee and made a face. "Ugh, this is really bad coffee."

"It's not that bad."

"Oh, that's right, I forgot. You like coffee so strong the spoon practically stands up in it."

"Ugh, that sounds like something my dad would say," she sighed.

"How is your dad?"

She shrugged. "You'd probably know better than me, since he's in Star City."

Oliver frowned. "You haven't talked to your dad?"

She shook her head. "We sort of had a fight over what happened with Jimmy and I just didn't want to open up old wounds."

"Why would you fight over Jimmy?" he said.

"My dad sort of took Jimmy's side, which I guess I can understand, but since I couldn't really explain to him about Brainiac and Davis and Doomsday, it just became one of those things we never talked about and then we just sort of stopped talking." She glanced down at the letter, thinking about the things her friend had said.

Kath had been estranged from her mother for years. Her father had died when she was in her teens after a car crash and her mother had never understood Kath's illness, thinking she was just doing it to get attention. They'd had a huge fight about five years earlier and Kath had refused to talk to her mother ever since. She'd moved halfway across the country, putting over two thousand miles between them. Kath's mother was retired and her pension wasn't enough for her to travel, so the two women hadn't seen each other since Kath had moved.

Still, Kath had told her that life was too short to continue to dwell on little grudges and even though Chloe had thought it was a little hypocritical – Kath was her friend and she loved her dearly, but she wasn't blind to her faults either – she agreed that she needed to settle things with her father.

"Hey, you awake?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something Kath said to me."

"You're really cut-up about this, aren't you?"

"Well, shouldn't I be? She was my friend, Ollie. Do you know how many people were at her funeral?"

"Clark told me. Chloe, I know she was your friend, but ..."

"No, Ollie. The thing is, no one really cared about her, except me. She was a good person and she didn't deserve this."

"She did this to herself."

Chloe knew he was just pointing out the reality of the situation but she really wanted to hit him.

"And why do you think that is?" she said. "Maybe it's because no one cared enough about her to be there when she needed them. Even I wasn't there when she needed me because I was too busy out with my friends."

"Chloe, you shouldn't feel guilty because your friend was too proud to ask you for help when she needed it."

"I knew you wouldn't understand," she sighed.

"I'm trying. Really I am, but I guess I'm failing because you're hurting and I don't know how to make it better."

"The fact that you're here at all says a lot. Um, why are you here and how did you find me?"

"You were Watchtower for over a year and you don't know?"

"I'm guessing you used GPS to track my phone, but you didn't answer the first part of the question. Besides, I haven't been Watchtower for years. I left all that behind me when I went back to the Planet."

"Well, something like it," he said. "Bruce had his techs develop a tracking system via cellphone. And the answer is, Clark asked me to come. They're worried about you, Chloe."

Chloe frowned at him.

"Since when was Bruce Wayne a joiner?"

She'd met him almost four years ago when she had learned that in order to save the people she loved she would have to disappear. She had travelled around, keeping herself as much under the radar as possible, but while visiting Gotham she had run into trouble. And Batman.

It hadn't taken her long to figure out that Batman was none other than Bruce Wayne. The man had been careful about keeping his secrets hidden, but she had done it for years and she knew when things didn't add up. So she had confronted Bruce with what she knew and he had had no choice but to show her his bat cave.

She had talked to him about the Justice League and what its goals were, but Bruce had turned her down flat.

Clearly in the past few years, Bruce had changed his mind.

"Well, I guess it helped that Clark saved his bacon about a couple of years ago. He didn't tell you about that?" Oliver added, frowning at her when she looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"I've been out of the loop I guess."

Oliver drank the last of his coffee, grimacing as he did so. Oliver's drink of choice was usually a beer and he had never understood her predilection for strong coffee. He'd joked that she practically mainlined it, which as far as Chloe was concerned was totally not true.

"Listen, you want to get out of here and talk somewhere? It's a nice day. We could head up to Crater Lake."

"Um, you know, that sounds great. I'd have to come back here to get my car ..."

"Or we could both drive up to the lake and meet there."

On second thought, she decided, that sounded the better idea. She followed him out after paying for her coffee and leaving a tip for the waitress.

Oliver was waiting for her as she parked at Crater Lake. This time of year, the farmers were busy ploughing the fields, getting ready for planting, and the kids who would normally hang out at the lake were in school. Most of them.

The blonde billionaire smiled at her, placing a hand at the small of her back as he guided her along the path to the lake. He had been spending less of his time in Metropolis in the past few years, especially since Lex had returned to reform Luthorcorp into LexCorp. Oliver had cut all ties with the corporation once Lex had come back, refusing to have anything to do with it despite the merger deal he'd negotiated with Tess Mercer.

Lex had attempted to go through legal channels to win back the profits Oliver had made from Luthorcorp, trying to get the courts to declare the merger illegal since he was never dead, although that point was debatable, Chloe had thought at the time. Still, even though Tess had skipped all the red tape to get Lex declared dead, since the average person had to wait seven years to do so, the courts had disagreed with Lex's attorney. So Lex had resorted to bullying tactics which hadn't worked either.

Once Oliver was free of LexCorp, he had returned to Star City to focus on rebuilding Queen Industries and it was now LexCorp's biggest rival in manufacturing electronics. He still visited Metropolis on occasion, since he had small subsidiary companies in the city, but only once a month. Most of his visit was usually spent with Clark and Lois, and Chloe, getting drunk.

Chloe had once considered the possibility of getting together with Oliver. They had tried.

_She had walked into Watchtower one night feeling sorry for herself, only to almost jump out of her skin when she heard the thwack of an arrow hitting a target._

_"Slow night?" she said, taking off her coat._

_"Figured I'd squeeze in some target practice. And a single malt."_

_She moved across to the desk, her heels clicking on the floor, legs brushed by the soft wool of her calf-length skirt._

_"Did you bring enough for the rest of the class?" she asked._

_"Help yourself professor," Oliver said, preparing another arrow._

_Chloe picked up the bottle as the blonde archer aimed and fired at the target._

_"Running a little light on allegory tonight," he said. For a moment she wondered what he meant by that until she figured he meant that she usually had some quip._

_"Bumpy day?"_

_"Not the smoothest," she sighed as she sat down. She'd just helped a kid who had inadvertently been cursed by a spell in a comic book, turning him into a superhero. At first it had been great, until, as was inevitable with any curse, things had gone awry._

_Still, one of the things the boy had said had bothered her. She poured some scotch in a tumbler._

_"Someone asked me when the last time I had a good time was, and I didn't have an answer."_

_The older man turned and looked at her._

_"I don't think anyone can fault you for being on edge, Chloe." He turned back to look at the target. "Hell, if anyone can relate it's me. I get it."_

_It was true. If anyone understood, it was Oliver. He'd been through some issues of his own in the past few months and was only just beginning to find his feet again._

_"Yeah, you can," she agreed._

_"You know," he said, aiming another arrow and letting it fly. "Sometimes you got to take your fun where you can get it. And sometimes, it's right in front of your face." He turned and looked at her. "You just have to want to see it."_

_Chloe doubted he was talking about archery._

_He canted his head in a 'come on' gesture. She took a small sip of her drink, her eyes on him as he smiled encouragingly, then put the glass down on the table with a determined thunk. She got up and joined him, letting him guide her hands on the bow. Her heart pounded with nervousness. Chloe had handled a few weapons, but this was the first time she'd handled anything like a compound bow._

_Oliver helped her steady her aim, his hand on hers as he continued to guide her. She realised it wasn't nervousness at handling the bow, it was nervousness at his nearness._

_Truth be told, Chloe had always been attracted to Oliver Queen. She remembered the first time she had met him in the barn at Clark's parents' farm. She'd thought then that he was 'hot', uttering a 'wow' to Clark as she sneaked a look at a tight ass in equally tight jeans._

_The problem at that time was that he had been dating her cousin and Chloe knew very well you didn't perve on your cousin's boyfriend, no matter how hot he was._

_She had thought she could settle for friendship with the blonde billionaire superhero. It had helped that she had been dating photographer Jimmy Olsen, who had in fact been her first sexual experience. She had thought she was in love with Jimmy, even though there were issues in the relationship which frankly drove her nuts._

_As for her first time, well, it wasn't awful. It was just the two of them fumbling in the back of his car. Chloe had always hoped when she did have sex for the first time, it would be with someone special. Of course, in her teenage dreams, her partner had always been Clark, but she had realised a long time ago that her feelings for Clark were just infatuation and she'd long since moved on._

_Now, here she was, in the arms of a man she had always thought was the hottest guy she had ever seen. Even over Clark. She swore she could hear his heart beating, he was standing so close to her._

_"How will I know when to let go?" she asked, holding the bow in position and keeping her gaze locked on the bullseye._

_"It's all about your heart," he said softly. She looked down to see his hand on hers. Her skin tingled where he'd touched her._

_"Just listen," he continued. "Right there in between the beats. That's when you let go."_

_She couldn't believe it when she did finally let go and the arrow hit the target almost dead centre. She turned and smiled up at him, excited at her prowess. Oliver had once told her it had taken him months to learn how to use a bow and arrow well enough to be able to shoot straight._

_He took the bow from her, his beautiful brown eyes darting here and there as they looked at each other. Chloe felt herself inexplicably breathless. Time seemed to stand still, and their bodies froze as if they'd been caught in a spell. Then his soft lips touched hers and it was all she could do to hold on as a maelstrom of emotion hit her all at once._

_His touch was so gentle, yet it set every nerve-ending on fire. Chloe wanted to touch him, feel his hard body next to her, glide her hands over silken flesh. She wanted him to run his hands through her wavy blonde hair, caress her face before moving down to touch every intimate part of her. She could feel her core ache with anticipation. It had been so long since she'd felt this way. Felt like if she didn't get close to this man and just walk away, she would die a horrible death._

_The way Oliver held her and kissed her, burying his mouth in her neck, it seemed he completely agreed with her. As they pulled away, panting for breath, their gazes locked on each other, reluctantly to look away for even just a second for fear that the other would suddenly vanish._

_Oliver's eyes were wide as he continued to stare at her, panting as if he had been running a marathon. It seemed he had been just as surprised by his reaction as she was by hers. The question was, what now, she thought._

_There was a slight creak as something shifted in the building. Oliver ran a hand through his blonde locks._

_"Uh, maybe we should take this somewhere with a little more privacy," he said._

_Chloe hesitated. Was she ready for this? She knew exactly what he wanted. The question was, did she want it?_


	3. Chapter 3

III

_Oliver had suggested they get some takeout and head back to his place. Instead of the clock-tower he had lived in when he'd first come to Metropolis, he had a penthouse apartment in the Luthorcorp building. Chloe had wondered why Oliver had chosen to give up the clock-tower apartment, but she supposed having an apartment above his office gave him easier access. Plus there was the added security in case any of Oliver's enemies decided to surface._

_They ate quietly, drinking almost two bottles of wine between them, not even mentioning what had occurred in Watchtower, which only served to make Chloe even more nervous than she was. What was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to react? Was Oliver expecting ... was she really going to sleep with a man she had already fancied herself half in love with? God knew, she'd made some colossal mistakes in the past. She didn't want to do the same thing with Oliver. She didn't want to make more of this than there already was. _

_Was she being presumptuous? After all, he hadn't actually said anything about sex. He'd just decided they needed a little more privacy._

_Chloe felt like that awkward teenager she had once been, with way too toothy grin and pixie haircut. For goodness' sake, she told herself. You're a grown woman. Act like it._

_The trouble was, every time she looked at Oliver, she remembered that kiss and all the emotions that had been stirred up inside her._

_Oliver put down his carton of Lo Mein and moved to sit on the red leather couch beside her. _

_"Chloe ..."_

_She frowned at him, moving away slightly. "Ollie, what are we doing here?"_

_"What do you mean?" he asked, seeming a little puzzled by her withdrawal._

_"You know what I'm talking about. This. Us."_

_"Like I said. Sometimes you just have to take the fun where you can get it. Chloe, this doesn't have to be anything more than what it is right now. Don't get me wrong. I mean, you're a beautiful woman. I'm not looking for a relationship right now. I have far too much going on in my life that I'm not sure I have room for it."_

_"Me either," she said. "I get that. About the fun thing. I do. I'm just not sure about this. I don't normally sleep around."_

_She didn't want to imply that Oliver did the exact opposite, even if it was the truth. The man had a reputation as something of a womaniser and the closest he'd come to a committed relationship was with Lois. The problem was, Lois hadn't been emotionally mature enough to deal with a relationship with someone who would never be able to put her first._

_Still, Oliver grimaced, looking a little shamefaced._

_"I know you don't," he answered, without addressing what, to Chloe, was like the proverbial 'pink elephant' in the room. "That's what I like about you Chloe. You have integrity. The thing is ..."_

_"The thing is, I don't want to give the wrong impression about what is happening here."_

_"Okay, cards on the table. Do you want to do this, because you can walk away now and we'll say no more about it."_

_Oh god, the pressure, she thought. The problem wasn't that she didn't want it. God knew, she needed to feel close to someone. To feel human. Since Jimmy's death, she had become so closed- off to everything and everyone that she no longer felt like the girl who had once been voted 'Most Likely to Succeed'. Instead she felt like she was the one who had walked away from everything and everyone, declaring Chloe Sullivan was dead, rather than Clark, who had denied his own humanity to hide away in his Fortress of Solitude. Watchtower had become her own Fortress of Solitude and it was indeed a lonely place._

_She didn't need to say any more. Oliver seemed to know exactly what she was thinking. He took her hand and led her to the bedroom. She stood passively as he undressed her, not sure if she should touch him, or undress him. He smiled at her, taking her hand and placing it on his shirt. Slowly, Chloe undressed him, taking the time to feel every inch of his body._

_Naked, she stood before him. Oliver stepped back, his gaze unreadable as he looked her over. It wasn't that Chloe was ashamed of her body. Just self-conscious. She wasn't as tall as Lois, or as slender as Lana. She was definitely not as fine-boned as Lana, and her pale skin tended to freckle in summer rather than tan. Her breasts, nowhere near as small as Lana's, were still not high and pert as she wanted them to be and she had a little muffin top. It wasn't enough to be noticeable, if she wore the right clothes, but still enough to be a little embarrassing._

_Jimmy had once commented on her body and her less than perfect curves. He'd laughed. Not in a mean way, but in a way that made her want to run and hide. _

_"Don't do that," Oliver said. "Don't try to hide from me."_

_"I know I'm not ..."_

_"Not what?" He shook his head, looking upset. "You know, someone must have done a real number on you for you to be like this. Chloe, you're beautiful. So what if you're not as tall as Lois? You have a beauty all your own that's unique, and you're perfect to me."_

_She bit her lip. Oliver might have 'played the field' but she knew when he was being deadly serious. He would never say something he didn't mean._

_She took his hand, shyly pulling him toward her so he could touch her. She gazed up at him, pressing her lips together, really unsure how to proceed. She felt dizzy, although that could have been the wine. Her heart was pounding like crazy and she was trembling. Oliver bent his head and kissed her gently, holding her close to him, enough so that she could feel his erection pressing against her sex. _

_He lowered her to the bed, laying with her and kissing her, still keeping his kisses gentle. Chloe had no idea what to do next, but she didn't want to let on to Oliver just how nervous she was._

_Oliver's kisses deepened as his passion grew. He began to rock against her, pressing even closer. Chloe would have been happy just to lay there kissing for a while, but he clearly wanted to take it to the next level and who was she to deny him? _

_She held onto him as he slipped a hand between her legs, parting her thighs. Part of her wanted to pull away. She wasn't ready for this and a bad case of nerves wasn't making it any easier. _

_She felt him move so his manhood pressed harder against her sex. Chloe wanted to tell him no, that she wasn't ready, but he was too impatient. As he entered her, Chloe winced. She wasn't nearly aroused enough and his entry wasn't as easy as she hoped it was going to be. He was a lot more generous in girth than Jimmy had been and she hadn't been ready for his size. _

_It felt almost as if he was tearing her inside out. Chloe bit back a pained groan, but Oliver seemed to notice she wasn't responding to him the way he wanted._

_"Chlo?" he said, frowning down at her. He began to withdraw and she shook her head, hissing slightly as he moved inside her._

_"Don't. It'll get better."_

_"I'm hurting you," he said._

_"It's just ... been a while," she grated out. After all, she and Jimmy had never consummated their marriage, considering Jimmy had had his guts torn inside out by a Kryptonian monster and by the time he had recovered, he had refused to have anything to do with her. Then of course, Davis Bloome had killed him. _

_Oliver still seemed concerned enough to pull out gently. She couldn't take the look on his face, her dinner and the alcohol coming back up to meet her in waves of nausea. Chloe pulled away from Oliver and leaped out of bed, running for the bathroom. Oliver followed her as she threw up everything she had consumed from dinner._

_He grabbed a package from the top shelf of his bathroom cabinet._

_"Here," he said when she was done._

_She stared at him, puzzled, then realised it was a new toothbrush. He shrugged. _

_"I hate the way my teeth feel after I've thrown up."_

_She knew he was trying to be helpful, but she was embarrassed all the same, feeling her cheeks flaming. She took the toothbrush anyway and began rinsing her mouth out then brushed her teeth. Oliver turned away and she wondered whether it was out of consideration for her feelings or something else._

_He was sitting on the bed when she returned. He'd put on boxers. Feeling self-conscious that she was now the only one fully naked, Chloe began to gather her clothes. _

_"I should go."_

_"You shouldn't be walking the streets this time of night," he said. "You know it's dangerous out there."_

_"I can't ...Ollie, after what just happened, I can't ..."_

_"I've screwed it all up, haven't I?"_

_She had no idea what he meant by that, but she was feeling too embarrassed by what had just happened to ask. _

_"I really should go," she said, pulling on her underwear._

_He got up, his hands on her shoulders. "Stay. I'll feel better knowing you're safe for the night."_

_"I don't know," she said dubiously._

_"Look, you're tired and you're probably not thinking straight." He patted the bed. Chloe noticed for the first time he'd straightened the bedclothes. "Come on."_

_Reluctantly, Chloe got into bed, letting him pull the bedclothes up around her. He kissed her cheek, then lay beside her._

_"Good night," he said softly._

_"Good night Ollie," she returned, curling on her side away from him, then closed her eyes._

_Sometime in the night, she woke to hear muttering. She rolled over to see the dark shape beside her and realised Oliver was on his back, talking in his sleep._

_"No, Lois, I'm sorry. I can't ..."_

_She didn't hear the rest of it, but then he spoke her cousin's name again. There was a long pause and he said finally: "I love you."_

_Pain lanced through her, reopening old scars she'd thought long healed. It seemed like once again someone was choosing her cousin over her._

_When morning came, she debated whether to leave him a note, but by the time she was done making a decision, he was awake. He was watching her._

_"I've been lying here thinking what to say," she said. "I just don't know."_

_"Then let me. Chloe, I think we went about this the wrong way. The thing is, I ..."_

_"Ollie, the thing is, I'm not over Jimmy. I mean, it's only been what eight, nine months since he died. I'm not like you, Ollie. I can't just sleep with someone just for the hell of it. I have to be in love with the guy."_

_"I get that, Chloe, but some day ..."_

_"Maybe some day," she said gently, "just not now. I do care about you, Ollie. You're one of my closest friends and ... I mean I've read about people who are like the best of friends, then they go to bed together and it destroys the friendship. I don't want that to happen to us."_

_Can't you see what I'm trying to do? she pleaded silently. You're so obviously still in love with Lois, even though she's totally in love with Clark. I really don't want to be rebound girl, she thought._

_"I don't want that to happen either," he answered quietly. He sighed. "Maybe last night was a mistake."_

_She nodded._

As she sat looking out over the still waters of the lake with the man she considered to be one of her best friends, she realised that that moment was the one thing she had always regretted. She hadn't fought for him. Hadn't proved to him that they could be good together. She'd let that one bad sexual experience dictate her actions.

She thought again about the letter Kath had left her. When the landlady had let her in to the apartment to find some clothes for Kath to be cremated in, she had seen the envelope addressed to her on the old couch which doubled as a fold-up bed.

Maybe Kath had thought she wasn't worth much to anyone, but she'd left Chloe with something more valuable than a mountain of gold. Kath had reminded her that a name on a byline or even on a plaque, which Chloe hoped would happen to her one day, meant nothing without someone to share it with. She was determined that that someone would be the man she had long ago realised she was deeply, irrevocably in love with.

The question was, would he ever be able to love her back?


	4. Chapter 4

IV

Oliver glanced at her. Chloe appeared to be deep in thought and he wondered what she was thinking about.

He'd been worried about her ever since Clark had called him and told him of her friend. Ollie was a firm believer that suicide was not the answer. Mostly because it hurt those left behind. Like Chloe. She was hurting and he had no idea how to help her.

The thing was, he was in love with her. Only she never seemed to realise. He was sure she was at least attracted to him. Physically, anyway. Was it enough? Probably not, he sighed.

He knew he wasn't the most reliable of people when it came to matters of the heart. He flirted and fooled around but it was more a defence mechanism. When a person lost as much as he had, there was always that deep, underlying fear that they could lose everything anyway, no matter how much they opened up. He'd rather screw around than risk his heart getting broken, and the other women didn't seem to mind.

He'd tried the other way. Of course he'd tried. There had been Tess Mercer. Years ago. They'd met on the island where Ollie had been stranded for two years, where he had honed his archery skills and become Green Arrow. It had been great for a few months, until doubts began creeping in, making him wonder if she was right for him. Maybe he shouldn't have been fooling around with the waitress, but he realised now that if Tess had truly meant something to him, he never would have cheated on her.

The next time he'd become involved with someone, it had been Lois. As much as he had cared about Lois, he'd known deep down that she wasn't right for him either. Besides, she was completely into Clark, although she was living in denial of that fact. As was Clark. The night Clark had pretended to be him, just so they could throw Lois off the track of him being Green Arrow, Oliver had watched Lois kiss Clark and had seen how deeply it had affected his friend.

Lois hadn't been the only one living in denial. He had tried, once again, to make it work with her, knowing that if he truly did love her, he would have at least been honest with her and told her exactly who he was. He'd known how she felt about being left behind. They'd talked a few times about how her father's career had made her feel. She accepted it but it didn't mean she had to like it.

Oliver bit his lip, thinking about that disastrous night when he'd first taken Chloe to bed. He never should have attempted it when he was drunk and she was feeling maudlin. Sex was never the answer when someone was depressed. He'd made the mistake of rushing things and he'd hurt her.

He'd never even considered the fact that she might not be over Jimmy. It had only been a few months since his death and while Oliver had thought Chloe had been making a mistake marrying the other man he had kept his thoughts to himself.

He supposed, too, that she might be thinking of herself as 'rebound girl'. He had, after all, told Lois only a few short months before that he loved her. The thing was, even he knew it was a kneejerk reaction. He'd known Lois was in love with Clark. He saw the way those two looked at each other, especially when they didn't think the other was looking. The point was, he'd only told Lois that because he'd been trying to hold on to something that no longer existed, if it ever had. Out of fear.

When was it exactly that he'd begun to fall for Chloe? The attraction had always been there, he decided. He remembered when he'd first met her in the barn at the Kent Farm.

_He had been talking to Clark about ... something. He forgot what it was, when he heard a female voice._

_"Clark!"_

_They'd both turned to look at her. She was wearing a black skirt and jacket combination with a white blouse underneath. Her blonde hair was shoulder length, pinned back behind her ears with a slight wave to it._

_"Oh. I didn't realise you had company," she said, sounding a little disconcerted._

_Oliver was immediately taken by the petite blonde, admiring the way the light seemed to bounce off her blonde locks, the little flashes from her earrings. Clark quickly introduced him and Chloe grinned._

_"Oh! I feel like I know you already," she said. "Lois talks about you all the time."_

_It was Oliver's turn to feel a little disconcerted. Here he was admiring the blonde when he was dating her cousin. Her cousin!_

_"I was actually just going to go see Lois right now. Maybe it's time I did some talking." He glanced down at the papers in her hands. "Well, look, I'm looking forward to your article on Dark Thursday."_

_Clark had told him that Chloe had been working on an article and needed some images from his satellite, which had been the only one working on that horrible day. Of course, Oliver later learned it had been a ruse, so Clark and Chloe could investigate the appearance of the phantoms. _

_If he'd been paying more attention, rather than admiring the pretty girl standing in front of him, he might have noticed the slight hesitation and the way she'd looked at Clark, which would have made it pretty clear she knew nothing about any article._

_"I hope my satellite images helped," he continued._

_She smiled. "Yeah."_

_"Good," he answered. "It was good to meet you." He said goodbye to Clark, then left feeling like he'd been hit by a semi. _

Even he knew that physical attraction wasn't enough and he couldn't deny that he had found her attractive. It took more than attraction to make a relationship and god knew, his best friend was a prime example of that. Clark had once admitted he'd been attracted to Lois when he'd first met her, but he'd been so blinded by his teenage crush on Lana that he had ignored the attraction. The constant bickering between them in the beginning hadn't helped either, even though Clark had long realised Lois got a kick out of yanking his chain.

It was different with him and Chloe, Oliver thought. Sure, she didn't take any of his bullshit and wasn't afraid to tell him when he was full of it, but they'd never really been on the same wavelength the way Clark and Lois always had. Not that that was a bad thing, essentially and oh god he hated it when he got all rambly inside his head.

Talk to her, idiot, he berated himself.

"Chloe ..." he began, but the look of despair on her face just had him shutting his mouth again.

"Ollie, I know what you're going to say."

He cocked an eyebrow at her in surprise. Chloe was a lot of things, but she had never been telepathic.

"You don't know what I was going to say," he said. Hell, he didn't even know what he was going to say.

"I appreciate you being here, but ... um, just how did you ... I mean, I thought you were in Star City?"

"I was, but then Clark called me about your friend and told me you were pretty upset. I figured you needed a friend."

"I do. I just ... you're so busy, with, you know, work and being Green Arrow. I just didn't want to tear you away from all that."

Didn't she know that he would go to the ends of the Earth for her? That nothing else mattered but seeing the smile on her face?

"Chloe, I would never turn away a friend in their hour of need."

"I get that," she sighed, "but ..."

"No buts. Talk to me. Tell me about your friend."

"There's not really much to say."

"How did you meet her?" he prompted.

"Well, funnily enough, in the Daily Planet. We were both in the elevator when it broke down. Well, those things are always breaking down, especially when Clark and Lois are in there. I bet he makes them break down on purpose just so he and Lois can make-out or something."

She grinned suddenly and he grinned back.

"Yeah, I would say that's a pretty good bet."

"Well, if he's gonna use his heat vision, he might as well use it for something cool."

Oliver laughed. They grinned at each other for a few moments, then he decided to turn back to the point of the conversation.

Chloe told him about meeting Kath in the elevator and how she'd sensed the older woman was kind of shy.

"The thing is, she was really really pretty but she just didn't see herself that way."

Chloe showed him a photo she had taken of Kathleen on her phone. The woman was indeed very pretty. In fact, she was the type of woman he would have found very attractive, and certainly would have dated her, if he hadn't been head over heels for the beautiful blonde sitting beside him.

"She's very pretty," he agreed.

"It didn't matter how many times I told her, she just never could bring herself to believe it. She always said that she wished one day she would meet a guy who would sweep her off her feet and, be, you know, like Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady."

Oliver frowned. "It sounds to me like she didn't like herself very much. And anyway, you can't rely on someone else to change you."

"Deep down, I think she knew that, but I guess she just wanted to believe it was possible." Chloe sighed deeply. "The thing is, I tried. I really did. The last thing I expected her to do was this."

"Chloe, I know this is probably not something you wanna hear, but maybe this was not even about you. Maybe it just wasn't enough."

"No." She shook her head. "No, I think something must have triggered it. She was always saying how people calling in treated her horribly, but she was always polite, even when they called her stupid."

"Some people are just assholes."

She nodded. "Yeah. She even told me once that there was this guy who called in ranting and really angry but she refused to back down. I mean, she was really nice about it, did what she could for him and even had him laughing in the end. Every time he called he would ask for her because of that."

"That takes skill," he said.

"I just don't understand why she would do this!"

"Maybe she just couldn't deal with it anymore," he said. "It's not your fault, Chloe. Believe that."

"I wish I could," she said, the tears beginning to fall again. He wrapped his arms around her and sat as she began to cry. "It's not fair," she sobbed.

No, it wasn't, he thought. Sometimes people just never seemed to get a break in life. He didn't agree with what she had done, but he realised that from her point of view, it probably had been the only answer.

He continued to hold her, growing uncomfortably aware of another part of his body showing interest. This was so not the right time, he thought, trying to will his erection down. Trouble was, his cock wasn't listening. It happened to him every time she got close enough to touch.

Please, god, he begged silently, don't let her feel that.

Chloe sat up so suddenly that for a moment he wondered if she had felt it. She looked up at him, all doe-eyed and he started to apologise, but she cut him off.

"It really means a lot that you came, Ollie," she said softly. "You're a true friend."

Friend? Was that all she thought he was? Chloe, don't you realise I want to be more than your friend?

He recalled a night when he'd been out with Clark. _They'd just been shooting the shit, enjoying a rare night off from the Justice League duties. Oliver had dragged his friend to a bar. Not that Clark had exactly been dragging his feet over it._

_They'd been drinking beer and playing pool. Oliver had to admit he was more than a little drunk and he had envied Clark his ability to stay sober. That was the thing that annoyed him sometimes. Clark could drink any man under the table and never get drunk._

_As it always did when they hung out, the conversation turned to the women in their lives._

_"So, how're things with the missus," he cracked._

_"Lois has been talking about having kids."_

_"You don't want to?"_

_"Of course I do, but I don't know if I can. Because of, you know, the whole I.T. thing."_

_Oliver frowned at him. I.T. thing? Clark made a little wave with his hand, sort of an upward movement and he still didn't get it. Maybe he was too drunk. Clark rolled his eyes, then leaned forward._

_"Intergalactic Traveller," he hissed, keeping his voice down to just above a whisper so others couldn't hear them._

_"Oh! Sorry," Oliver said sheepishly. "My bad."_

_"Anyway, I thought about asking you-know-who, but ... I don't know. I mean, my relationship with him is difficult, at best. It's not something I really want to talk to him about."_

_"Well, at least you got that ring on her finger. I mean, Legs, she's kinda ... one-of-a-kind, you know? And Chloe ..."_

_"Still no progress on the Chloe front?"_

_He shook his head, then drained the rest of his beer._

_"I just don't get it," Oliver sighed. "She knows how I feel, doesn't she?"_

_"Does she?" Clark asked._

_Oliver frowned. "Suddenly, I don't know anymore."_

_"Maybe she thinks you still have feelings for Lois."_

_"I explained all that. Didn't I? I mean, the whole blind date tv show thing. Lois showing up at that fighting ring. My head was a mess and I didn't know which way was up or down. It was like Chloe thought she felt about you, once upon a time. I mistook real friendship for something else. I mean, god knows, I always thought she was really cute. Chloe, I mean. Then when I really got to know her ..."_

_"You felt intimidated."_

_"And I don't intimidate easy. I mean, you get it. She's like way smarter than I am, and I'm pretty smart, but we're talking genius here."_

_The thing was, Oliver thought, he'd never thought he stood a chance with Chloe, which was another reason he'd hung on to his feelings for Lois, even though he knew she was beginning to have feelings for Clark. He'd watched Chloe marry Jimmy wondering why he felt like crap, wishing he had been in the place of the groom. He'd gone out of his way to help Jimmy when he needed a job and a friend and when everything between him and Chloe had gone kerplooey, and then Jimmy had died ..._

_"Ollie, you have to tell her how you feel," his friend told him._

_"I don't want to scare her off!" Oliver insisted. "I mean, you know, I come with more baggage than JFK airport."_

_"So does Chloe." Clark looked at him. "You know, if you don't, one day you're going to look back and kick yourself for not making the move when you should have. I mean, do you think I wasn't terrified when I asked Lois out for the first time?"_

_"You?" he said sceptically._

_"Yeah, me. I asked her to go with me to a monster truck rally. Of course, that little stunt of the Toyman's stopped that."_

Oliver could recall that entire conversation, in spite of how drunk he'd been at the time and he realised something.

"I'm an insensitive jerk," he said.

Chloe looked at him.

"What? No, you're not!"

"Yeah, I am. Remember when the Toyman decided to get revenge on me for framing him for Lex? Remember the thing about the pressure plate?"

Her eyes widened as she began to comprehend what he was talking about.

"Ollie, that was ..."

"No, it was no different than what your friend was going through," he told her. "I wanted to end it. I should have remembered that!"

"Ollie, that's not being insensitive," Chloe told him. "Besides, you're not that guy anymore."

"Because of you," he said softly, reaching out to cup her chin gently. "You really did save me."

She shook her head, but he knew she was just being 'Chloe'. She never really did like taking credit where credit was due, and she didn't seem to take compliments that well, but she really had pulled him out of the funk he'd been in.

He'd spent his birthday in a casino, drunk and just about out of cash, when a woman had pulled him into what he later learned was a game. Only this wasn't just an ordinary game. It was meant to be a deadly scenario, forcing him to take stock of his life and face up to his mistakes. Face up to who he really was.

He should have been angry that it had been Chloe who had set him up, but he realised she had been trying to save his life. Maybe not physically, but certainly emotionally. He'd been going around practically wishing for death, refusing to listen to his friends who had just been trying to talk some sense into him, and he'd very nearly lost everything. Chloe had pulled him back from the brink and he had never realised how much that meant to him. Sure, he had told her he was grateful, but those had just been words.

"Chloe, you knew enough to be able to pull me back from the edge and I know you would have done everything in your power to help Kathleen."

"It wasn't enough."

"Still, I think she appreciated your friendship. I think she died knowing that you really did care about her, even if she had stopped caring about herself."

"She left me a letter, telling me she was sorry for hurting me. I just ... I just don't understand," she sighed.

"Well, maybe your first instinct was right. Maybe something set her off. I mean, you hear all the time about these kids who have been bullied so badly they don't see any alternative. If it makes you feel better, why don't you do a little digging?"

Chloe looked up at him, then smiled.

"How come you always know the right thing to say?"

He grinned back at her. "It's a gift."

She punched him in the shoulder and he sent her a wounded look.

"Ow!"

"Big baby."

"Oh, that's it, missy, you are going down!"

Chloe practically leapt to her feet, scrambling away from him. She laughed as he chased her along the water's edge and he grabbed her, threatening to dump her in the water.

"Don't you dare!" she squealed.

He chuckled. "Okay, I won't, but don't think I wasn't tempted." He leaned down and kissed her gently on the mouth. It was just a soft kiss, not meant to mean anything, but her eyes widened and she stared at him.

He broke the moment.

"Listen, why don't you come back to my place? I'll cook you dinner and we can just hang out and watch a movie, or just talk."

"You cook?"

He sniffed haughtily. "Hey, I am not just a spoiled rich boy you know. I can heat a microwave meal with the best of them."

"Oooh, you!" she said, with a half-growl, half-laugh, before agreeing that sounded like a great idea and went off to get her car so she could drive into the city.

He watched her leave, admiring her petite figure, then mentally smacked himself on the head. Mind out of the gutter, Queen, he thought, pushing the lascivious images out of his head. There was no way she was ready for that.


	5. Chapter 5

V

Much to Chloe's surprise, Oliver was indeed a good cook, and not just heating something up in the microwave. When she arrived at his apartment in the clock tower building, which he'd renovated extensively, he was busy cutting beef into cubes and coating it in flour.

"Take a seat," he said, waving at the barstools in front of the counter.

"I thought you were kidding back there," she admitted.

Oliver sent her a mock wounded look. "Hey, I didn't spend thousands of dollars on lessons from a cordon bleu chef to be mocked you know."

Chloe bit her lip. "God, I'm sorry. A cordon bleu chef? Really?"

Oliver tried to look serious, but burst out laughing.

"Actually I pick up a lot watching Rachael Ray."

It was Chloe's turn to burst out laughing. "Well, at least it's not Martha Stewart," she giggled. "But I cannot believe you watch Rachael Ray."

He looked sheepish. "Remember that time I ended up in the hospital?"

"Which one?" she asked. Well, there were so many of them.

"Not when the Toyman tried to blow me up, but the time Zod tried to fry me alive."

Chloe winced. Zod had used his heat vision to burn his symbol onto Oliver's chest. Oliver had had to have extensive plastic surgery to repair the damage. He had spent months in and out of the hospital having different surgeries.

"Anyway," Oliver continued, "the first couple of weeks I wasn't able to do much and I ended up watching a lot of daytime tv."

Chloe laughed at him. Somehow she just could not picture someone like Oliver Queen watching daytime television. The blonde billionaire just grinned back at her. They began talking back and forth as he finished preparing what turned out to be Beef Stroganoff. The recipe he was using was one which was quick and easy.

Oliver poured them each a glass of Merlot as he finished cooking, then served up the dinner on plates. Chloe followed him out to the small glass-topped table he used when he was just eating by himself. Chloe sampled the stroganoff. The flavours just seemed to burst on her tongue.

"Oh wow, this is amazing!"

Oliver smiled. "Thank you, but it's nothing."

"Are you kidding? You know when Lois and I were still roommates I was lucky she didn't burn the microwave meals. Well, at least I managed to not gain weight, although I will do if I eat like this all the time."

"I don't see a problem with that," he answered. "Besides, I've always believed in the 'everything in moderation' philosophy."

Chloe didn't mention the times he would get drunk. She didn't want to bring up the fact that he tended to use alcohol to bury his feelings, or run away from his problems. He'd been doing that ever since he was a kid. Even now when they often met up at the Ace of Clubs he would practically have to be carried out, he was so drunk. Yet she couldn't see exactly what problems he might have that getting drunk seemed to be the only way to deal with it.

As they ate dinner, the conversation was kept away from the matter of Kathleen and what had happened to her and more on casual things.

"You know, Clark told me Lois has been talking about having kids," Oliver commented.

"Yeah, I know. She was asking me about it one day. It's something they've been considering ever since Conner. I guess Clark's always been a little wary because he doesn't even know if he can have children with Lois."

"He said that. I still think he should at least talk to Jor-El. I mean, there has to be a way. Personally, I think Clark would make a great dad and Lois ... well, she might doubt herself sometimes, but she'll be a great mom. I mean, look at the way she handled Conner after that whole Red K thing."

Chloe nodded. Lois had told her about it. Lionel, or rather the Earth-2 version of him, had used a ring to infect Conner with red Kryptonite and, like Clark, it had affected Conner enough that he didn't care about the consequences of his actions. When Lionel's man had caught Lois investigating at Luthorcorp, trying to find some documents which would prove Lionel as a fake, Conner rescued her, taking her to the mansion where he'd then proceeded to try to seduce her. When she rejected him, he lost control and became violent.

Clark had gone after them and eventually managed to talk Conner round but there had been a couple of days of tension between Conner and Lois. She clearly hadn't trusted him, which was understandable and the teenager had bent over backwards trying to make up for what he had done. She finally had sat him down and explained to him about his actions having consequences. They'd had a long talk and both had ended up better friends for it. The incident had scared Conner more than either Clark or Lois had realised, worried that he might take on the 'Luthor' side of his personality.

Chloe had admired the way Lois had handled it, knowing she had initially been angry and more than a little frightened by Conner's actions. She could have thrown him out of the house, and would have been well within her rights to do so, but she had been able to recognise that Conner had also been trying to deal with something that, due to the red K, he really had had no control over.

"Have you ever thought about having kids?" Chloe asked him, sipping her wine.

Oliver lifted his glass, looking thoughtful.

"I guess so. I mean, yeah, one day, with the right person."

Would that 'right person' be me, Chloe thought hopefully.

"What about you?"

"Sure, in the future. When I'm in a committed relationship. I mean, it's really hard on a kid when your parents aren't together. For a long time, I thought that maybe my mother's leaving was because of me. I didn't know it was really because she had a mental illness." She sighed.

Moira Sullivan was in a hospital in Star City. After Lex had kidnapped her mother, Chloe had asked Oliver to find a place for her to live in his city. At first, she had thought that her mother would live in an apartment, but when she had slipped back into her catatonic state, Chloe realised that had been an impossible dream.

To protect her, Oliver had her placed under another name in a private hospital. It cost a lot of money but he refused to take any of Chloe's money, telling her that she shouldn't have to worry about how to keep her mother safe.

Chloe knew her father often went to visit Moira, even though she no longer recognised him.

"Still," she continued, "my dad did the best he could. It was pretty tough, raising me, I mean, and we didn't always have it easy. Especially after he lost his job at the plant."

"That was Lionel's doing."

"Yeah, I know."

"You know, you really should talk to your dad. I mean, god knows, I know what it's like to grow up without parents. I mean, sometimes I can just be walking down the street and I'll see a woman who looks exactly like my mother. Or almost. I can't help wanting to run up to her and tap her on the shoulder just to check."

Chloe put a hand on his. It was meant to comfort him, but he looked a little taken aback. She bit her lip and withdrew.

Oliver got up and took the plates.

"Uh, I'll just go clean up."

"I'll help you," she said, getting up to do just that.

"No," he answered with a small gesture. "You sit, relax. Drink the rest of your wine. I'll just rinse these and put them in the dishwasher."

He started to walk to the kitchen door and she stopped him.

"Oliver ..." He turned and looked at her. "Thank you. For dinner I mean. It was wonderful. You really are a good cook." He smiled and went out.

Chloe sat down again, picking up her glass once more and stared into space as she sipped. They'd been getting along so well, just chatting, and she'd had to go and make things awkward again. She felt like such an idiot. Oliver probably read more into it than she had meant, which was just going to amp up the tension between them.

Oliver returned within a few minutes and suggested watching a movie. He led the way to the entertainment room, using the remote to reveal the huge flat screen. It seemed to dominate the room.

"Did you have this before?" she asked.

"No. I just got it a couple of weeks ago."

"Why did you decide to open up this place again?"

He shrugged. "Well, why not? It's not like I could use the apartment at Luthorcorp, sorry, LeXCorp now. I thought about selling it when I moved permanently to Star City but I figured since I'd be coming back here for business every month or so it was worth hanging on to."

"Oh. Okay."

"So, what did you want to watch?" he asked, crouching down by the shelf which was full of movies. "Let's see, I have the complete works of Monty Python."

She grinned at him. "Monty Python? Really?"

"It's dated but it's still pretty funny."

"Hmm, no."

"Okay, how about Breakfast at Tiffany's? That's a classic."

"Ugh, no."

"The Notebook?"

"Chick flick."

"You don't like chick flicks?"

"Sure, as much as the next girl, I guess. Except when the next girl is Lois. I swear she used to rent every Jaws movie just so she could torture Clark."

"Yeah, Lois has never really been a 'chick flick' kind of girl. Okay, I guess you're not in the mood for romcom. What about drama? Or action."

Chloe perked up at that. Usually when she was feeling miserable, she liked movies that were pure escapism.

"Lethal Weapon?" Oliver suggested.

"Hell no. I lost all respect for Mel Gibson after he cheated on his wife. Not to mention the fact that he's gone plumb crazy."

"Well, I don't know about that, but yeah, I would lose all respect for a guy who cheated too."

She looked at him. "Didn't you once cheat on Tess?"

Oliver bowed his head, sighing. "Uh, yeah, I guess I did. But I think if I really loved her, like really, really loved her, I never would have cheated with that waitress. At least, that's what I tell myself. I mean, it's not like we were actually exclusive, I guess. We hadn't really committed, you know? I just think that if I were in a committed relationship with someone I loved then I wouldn't do that to them. Even if we were, like, on a break."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "That show should be banned. I mean, seriously."

"You don't like Friends?"

"I like it well enough, just not enough to watch it over and over again. It gets kind of annoying after a while."

"That's what they do, though," he said. "These networks. When they have a successful show, they put them in syndication and just play them, over and over."

"Maybe you should buy a tv network and just tell them 'enough is enough'."

"God no. I'd be broke within a year the way some of these network executives run them."

"You know, Lex just created his own cable network. I swear I cannot stand the anchors on LNN. You just know they're getting paid big bucks to tell positive stories about LeXCorp."

"Yeah, well you control the medium, you control the message."

"It's a good thing Bruce bought the Daily Planet because otherwise Lois and Clark would be out of a job. There is no way Lex would put up with such bad press."

"Of course, he would never even consider for a second that he is worthy of such bad press."

"Mm-hmm."

Oliver continued perusing the contents of his movie collection, then took out a Blu-Ray disc.

"What about this one?" he asked, showing her the cover.

"Ooh, is that the fourth Terminator movie? I remember seeing that in the theatre. I remember the critics hated it but I didn't think it was that bad. You know, the guy that plays John Connor kind of reminds me of Bruce."

Oliver nodded. "You're right, he does. So you wanna watch?"

"Sounds good to me."

Oliver got up from the floor, putting the disc in the player, then sat on the couch beside her. She pretended not to notice the way he let his arm appear to fall naturally around her shoulders and snuggled up against him. The screen went black then on to the introductory screen.

Neither one of them spoke as the movie began playing. Chloe never liked talking during a movie and she guessed Oliver was the same. She'd gone with him once to a movie and the people in front of them had talked all through the previews, then proceeded to gossip through the opening scenes. They hadn't liked it when Oliver had shushed them, until they realised exactly who they'd been talking to. The world knew Oliver as Green Arrow then.

It wasn't long before the warmth of Oliver's body beside hers and the general feeling of relaxation made her eyes droop. Chloe snuggled against him almost unconsciously, barely aware of him holding her closer or the light kiss on her forehead as he whispered:

"Goodnight sweetheart."


	6. Chapter 6

VI

Oliver crept quietly down the stairs and glanced toward the entertainment room. He'd left the door ajar the night before, wanting to keep an ear out in case Chloe needed him. She was still asleep on the couch.

He'd had thoughts of carrying her up the stairs and into his bed, or one of the guest rooms, but he hadn't wanted to wake her up and he just wasn't sure of the protocol in these situations. Would Chloe have got mad at him for letting her fall asleep on him, or for carrying her upstairs? He loved Chloe, but just not enough to risk the wrath of Lois if she got the wrong idea. Lois had always been very protective of her cousin.

He made his way into the kitchen and began making batter for pancakes. He remembered when he had been eight his mother had got him up one Sunday morning. Their cook always had a half-day on Sundays as Laura liked to make brunch for the family. _This particular morning, she had come into Oliver's room._

_"Mom?" he asked sleepily._

_"Come downstairs with me, sweetheart," she said._

_"Why? What's going on?"_

_"We're going to make pancakes," she told him, taking his hand and leading him downstairs._

_So while his mom supervised, he made his very first pancakes. They weren't all that brilliant, being oddly-shaped, but at least the batter was cooked properly and his mother had been watching the entire time, helping him to turn them over. Yet when Robert sat down at the breakfast table to bravely eat Oliver's first effort at cooking, he proclaimed them the best pancakes he'd ever had. _

Since then, it had become a ritual for him. Just a small way of honouring his parents' memories.

He was deep in thought as he waited for the pancakes to brown and didn't hear the door creak.

"Um, 'morning."

He looked around and smiled at Chloe. Her hair was tousled and she looked a little sleepy-eyed but she still looked gorgeous.

"Hey," he said, smiling brightly. "Want some pancakes?"

"Uh, I really should go," she answered awkwardly. "I have to go to work."

He frowned at her. "Work? It's Sunday."

"Yeah, I know, but Perry made me promise I would come in for a few hours to make up for the couple days I took off. You know, to make arrangements for Kathleen."

"Well, that's a little unfair," he replied.

She shrugged. "News never sleeps. And it is called the Daily Planet." She glanced at the small pile of pancakes on the platter. "Those look really good."

"My mom taught me to make them when I was a kid," he said.

"Really?" She looked surprised.

"Hey, don't look so shocked," he said mildly. "Rich people do still put their pants on one leg at a time, just like everybody else."

"I thought they had valets for that," she answered. He glanced at her and realised she was teasing.

"Watch it. You know what I do to smart-asses?"

"No, but knowing you, I doubt I'd like it."

He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "I take them over my knee and spank them."

He laughed as her cheeks reddened. He just loved getting his own back on her.

"You are a very bad man, Oliver Queen."

He put on an innocent look and pointed to his chest. "Moi?"

Chloe laughed. "Yes, you." Her expression turned solemn again as she glanced at her watch. "I really should get going."

"Stay. At least have a couple of pancakes. I'm sure Perry will understand if you're a few minutes late."

Chloe bit her lip, considering.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," he cajoled.

"All right, all right, you got me. Let me at those pancakes."

He grinned, handing her a plate with a couple of pancakes. Chloe took it out to the table while he turned off the burner and took the rest out. Chloe was already pouring boysenberry syrup onto her pancakes.

"By the way," she said. "Thank you, for last night. I didn't want to be alone."

He got that. She needed someone to be there for her. Someone who understood the pain she was feeling.

"You're welcome," he said. "You know, anytime you need me, you just have to call."

"I know."

They ate in silence, the playful banter forgotten. Oliver glanced at her now and again but she seemed completely focused on her pancakes. He felt awkward. It was one thing to be there for her when she was in pain; it was another to actually get her to talk about the thing causing that pain.

Chloe finished her breakfast, then sighed.

"I really do have to get going," she said. "I have to go to my apartment, shower and change my clothes and go to work." She grimaced. "At least I don't have to dress up. They don't really care what you wear on Sundays, as long as you're not going to an interview."

Oliver knew better than to argue. He just nodded and followed her out to the elevator, calling the car and lifting the heavy door for her. Chloe turned and looked at him, her pretty green eyes doing an odd little dance. She seemed to be weighing something up in her mind.

He was surprised when she caught his hand and stood on tiptoes to press a light kiss on his lips.

"Thank you," she said softly. "You're a good friend, Ollie."

She moved into the elevator, her gaze still on him. He stood watching until the door closed, then hunched his shoulders in a heavy sigh.

XXXXX

Chloe arrived at work an hour later wondering why the office, usually fairly quiet on a Sunday, seemed to be buzzing. She dumped her bag on her desk and went to get herself some coffee from the break room.

As she passed by the open door of the contact centre manager, she heard someone letting off a tirade.

"Not only is that kind of humour inappropriate, it disgusts me that you would even stoop that low to speak so disrespectfully, not only to me, but about Ms Bryant."

"Mr Wayne, sir ..."

"Don't 'sir' me," Bruce growled. Chloe hesitated, glancing in, staring in shock at the back of a man she'd only talked to a couple of times since he'd bought the paper. Of course, she had already met his alter ego in Gotham and he had become good friends with Clark. "Call security and have this man escorted out."

"Are you firing me?" the man spluttered.

"Mr Wayne," the manager was saying, "there are rules. You can't just ..."

"I own this paper, Ms Hammond. I make it my business to know everything that goes on here. I also make it my business to be aware of employment laws."

"I'll sue your ass," the man bluffed.

"Go ahead. File your civil suit. I'm sure the jury would be very interested to hear how you bullied a bright and valued employee into thinking that suicide was her only option."

Chloe gasped, her eyes widening as Bruce turned and looked at her. She scurried away, embarrassed at having been caught eavesdropping, getting her coffee quickly and taking the long way back to her office.

She had just started to write up her notes from an interview for an op-ed piece when there was a knock on her door. She looked up, then looked away as Bruce came in.

"I was going to come and see you," he said. "I didn't think you would want to hear what happened. Not like that. So I wanted to tell you personally."

She stared wordlessly at him. Bruce closed the door and sat down in one of the leather chairs.

"I've been trying to call you," he said. "Clark told me you left after the service yesterday."

"I ... I went to Smallville," she stammered. "I met Oliver. We got to talking and I ... I stayed over. On his couch," she added for posterity.

"Good. No one should be alone at a time like this. I know she was a good friend of yours."

"How did you even know ..."

"Like I was telling that idiotic woman, I make it my business to know everything that's going on in this paper."

"I don't ..."

"Chloe, I admit, I didn't know your friend Kathleen, but I was shocked to learn that she had committed suicide. I wanted to know why such a bright, beautiful woman would be driven to such an act of desperation so I started to do some digging. A couple of weeks ago, she applied for a promotion. She'd been here long enough that the promotion would have been well-deserved. From what I understand from some of her colleagues, she had a great rapport with many of those she dealt with and I have more than two dozen emails from perfect strangers telling me how deeply shocked and saddened they are by her death. In short, she was turned down for the promotion and someone who had less experience than her was chosen for the role, simply because they knew how to kiss ass."

Chloe grimaced, thinking the term sounded odd coming from Bruce.

"That wasn't all. I found her Facebook page and she had posted her feelings about losing the promotion. The replies she got were so vitriolic that they really aren't worth the energy expended to even read them."

"Are you saying she was bullied?"

"And the leading culprit was the man I just fired. This wasn't the only incident of bullying, Chloe. Kathleen had been the victim of bullying for years. She just never knew how to handle it."

The tears were pouring down her face. Kathleen had mentioned it in passing and Chloe had never paid much attention to it. She had figured if it was that bad then Kathleen would have said more.

Bruce got up and came over, pulling her up and wrapping his arms around her.

"Chloe, this is not your fault. She tried to tell someone in authority and they refused to listen. They told her she was over-reacting and just to deal with it. Those people will be dealt with. I promise you that. I don't tolerate that kind of behaviour in the workplace and I promise you they will answer for that."

"It's not fair," she wailed. "She was a good person. She didn't deserve any of it."

"No, she didn't. I know you loved her, Chloe. The fact is, I think if you hadn't been there for her the past year, it might have happened sooner than it did."

He brushed her hair back from her face, gently brushing the salty tears from her cheeks. Chloe hiccoughed then sniffled, trying to get her grief under control. She felt a wet patch on Bruce's shirt.

"I'm sorry," she said, patting the spot.

"Chloe, you don't have to apologise for grieving for your friend."

"Still, you didn't need me crying all over you."

"What are friends for?" he shrugged. "Listen, why don't I take you out for coffee? I'll clear it with Perry."

"I really ... I promised him I'd come in and write up an op-ed piece."

"He shouldn't have made you promise that, when you're clearly still in pain."

"I still ... I need to get it done."

"Hey, who signs your paycheck around here, huh? Him or me?"

"Um, that would be your accountant, actually," she told him.

Bruce laughed. "Okay, you got me on that one. Come on. One coffee. I happen to know this great coffee place down the street that does the most amazing non-fat double-whip hazelnut chocolate latte with a double-shot of espresso that I know you coffee junkies love."

"I am not a coffee junkie," she told him, practically glaring at him with hands on her hips.

He continued chuckling. "Coffee addict then."

"Bruce, if you weren't my boss, I would ..." she threatened, pretending she was going to punch him in the nose. Or something.

He just laughed harder. "I'd like to see you try, Ms Sullivan."

She pouted at him. "You're mean. You're a mean man, Bruce Wayne."

He grabbed her jacket from the back of her chair and held it up.

"Come on. Besides, I need a good shot of caffeine before I start to clean house around here."

Chloe had no doubt that heads were about to roll. When Bruce Wayne made up his mind to do something, he took no prisoners.

XXXXX

Oliver had decided that work or no work, Chloe needed time to process the events of the past week and he figured he would like to keep her company. Part of him still hoped she would actually start to see him as more than a 'good friend' but he thought it was a long-shot. Besides, the last thing she needed was for him to make the moves on her when she was grieving. What kind of man would he be if he took advantage of her in her vulnerability?

As he walked down the street toward the Daily Planet, he glanced up at the former Luthorcorp building, now showing LeXCorp. He wondered what Lex was doing, up in his steel and glass tower, thinking of all the schemes he could come up with to try to undermine all the good the Justice League was doing.

Just as he reached the Daily Planet, he saw Chloe walk out. She was smiling up at a tall, dark-haired man. Jealousy hit like fire in his stomach as he recognised the man. Bruce Wayne. What the hell? And why was she smiling at him? Were they dating?

He ducked underneath the overhang of a store, still watching as they walked up the street together. They certainly looked very cosy. Bruce's arm was around her shoulders. Oliver glowered at the man's back. That should be his arm around her shoulders, not Wayne's.

He'd lost her.


	7. Chapter 7

VII

Oliver tipped up the glass and threw back the contents, hiccoughing and burping at the same time.

"Oh yeah, that's ... that's attractive," he told himself. "No wonder she rejected you, loser!"

"Aww, who asked you," he answered himself, falling on to his side and reaching for the bottle on the table. He missed, bumping the leg, causing the bottle to tip dangerously. Just as it began to fall, a hand came out of nowhere and grabbed it before it could topple completely, with only a slight splash.

"Ollie?"

Oliver looked up, his vision swimming. He blinked a couple of times. Nope, there were still two Clarks in front of him.

"Are you drunk?"

Gee, no, I'm sitting on the floor like a moron because I couldn't be bothered sitting on the sofa like a normal person. Why do you ask?

Clark sent him a puzzled look and he realised he hadn't said any of that out loud.

"Gimme the bottle," he said, reaching for it.

"I think you've had enough."

"I'll ..." hiccough, "know ..." burp, "when I've had enough."

Clark shook his head, clearly trying not to laugh.

"You're smashed."

"Nope. I'll be smashed when I'm passed flat out on my back."

"By the looks of you that's not far off."

"I could still beat you at Guitar Hero," he bragged, trying, and failing, to get to his feet.

"Lois told you how she used to beat me at that stupid game," his friend groaned. "You know I only pretended to be lousy at it."

"Whatever! You just hate admitting when you lose to her. Sore loser!"

"Says the man who whines because she beats you at beer pong."

"I do ... do not ... whine," he said, trying once again to get up. He waved his hand. "Could you ... could you help me up?"

Clark grinned and reached out, taking Oliver's hand and helping him to his feet. Oliver suddenly found himself upright with an extreme case of vertigo.

"Whoa! Head rush."

"You all right?"

"'m fine," he said, walking over to the couch. Or rather, swaying drunkenly.

"You're walking kind of funny for a guy who's fine," Clark told him.

That couch looked very far away. Or maybe it was his altered perception. Clark reached out and grabbed him before he could find himself on the floor again. Oliver shook him off.

"I said I'm fine!"

"Sure, keep telling me that when you smell like a distillery. What's with the binge?"

"Sue me if I wanna have a good time!" he answered, sinking down on the couch, sighing blissfully. At least the world wasn't spinning anymore.

Clark frowned at him. "You usually hit the clubs if you want to have a good time. You're home alone."

Oliver pressed his hands to his face in a passable imitation of the boy from the Home Alone movies. Clark groaned.

"You're weird when you're drunk."

He sat down on the chair opposite the couch.

"So?" he said.

"So ... what?"

"Why the binge?"

"Chloe."

"Ah ..." he answered, as if that said everything.

"She doesn't want me."

"How did you manage to take that quantum leap?"

"I saw her with Bruce."

"As in Wayne?" Clark's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "As in the guy cleaning house at the Daily Planet?"

"What?" Oliver frowned at his friend. "Cleaning what?"

"You didn't hear? They're talking lay-offs, firings ... Basically, Bruce found out there'd been a lot of bullying going on in other departments and he's putting a stop to it. The legal department is having a field day with all the threats to sue but he doesn't care."

"What ..." He burped again. "What brought this on?"

"Apparently that's why Chloe's friend took the overdose. She was bullied."

Even as drunk as he was, the seriousness of the situation hit hard.

"My god! Is Chloe ... does she know?"

"Yeah. I talked to her after Bruce left today. He told her Kathleen was up for promotion and didn't get it because some younger guy knew someone who knew someone. She was so disappointed she posted something on Facebook and got a lot of hate comments. Bruce figured out it was some guy in the team posting them and fired him on the spot."

"What kind of comments?"

"You really don't want to know. I saw a couple of them and they were horrible."

"Tell me," he insisted.

"Well, the gist of them were that no one liked her, that she was ugly and she should just curl up and die. And those were the mild ones."

"God, that's awful!" He felt even worse for Kathleen. He'd had his problems in the past, but that poor woman had clearly had no one to turn to. The worst part was, her pride had probably stopped her from talking to Chloe about it. His problems just paled in comparison.

"Bruce told me he's writing an editorial about it. He wants to send the message that that kind of thing won't be tolerated."

"How did this world get so messed up, Clark? I mean, here we are, fighting crime every day, and it's things like this that we can't fight."

"Well, Superman can't fight it, I guess. Not even Green Arrow. But you and Bruce ... you guys can. As yourselves."

"How so?"

"Lois did some digging. There's a group being set up to investigate and bring down cyber bullies, but there's only so much they can do. Bruce thinks there needs to be more done at legislative level."

"You're right. That is something only he and I can do. I bet even Lex wouldn't tolerate something like that."

"It's got Lois on her soapbox and Chloe's mad as hell. The whole newspaper's in a spin. I know of at least a couple of people who got their walking papers today."

"Geez, when Bruce moves he doesn't waste time, does he?"

"Nope."

"And he's got his sights set on my girlfriend. Uh, would-be girlfriend."

Clark stared at him, surprised. "What are you talking about?"

"I saw them, Clark. They were walking up the street and he had his arm around her. They looked very cosy."

"They're just friends, Ollie."

"That's not how I saw it."

"Then you need to open your eyes, my friend, because that's how it is. He took her out for coffee to cheer her up after he'd told her what happened to Kathleen. That's it. They're not dating."

"They're not?"

"You know Chloe is crazy about you, don't you?"

"She is?"

Clark sighed and shook his head.

"I swear when they were handing out brains you forgot to get in line. Chloe is nuts about you. She has been for a while. You really need to man-up and tell her how you feel."

Oliver sighed and leaned back, closing his eyes and pinching his nose. "You're right, you're right, I know you're right. And I'll get right on that. Soon as the room stops spinning."

"You're ... you're not going to you know, take a trip on the porcelain highway or anything are you?"

"Thinking about it."

"Oh god," his friend groaned. "Just don't expect me to hold your hair or something."

He opened one eye to look blearily at Clark. "What?"

"You don't wanna know."

XXXXX

"So the gist of it is, a few people are going to get pink slips when they come in tomorrow and Bruce's editorial is going to appear in the paper next week."

Lois nodded, stirring the contents in the saucepan and checking the recipe on the tablet beside her. Chloe frowned.

"Um, what are you making, exactly?"

"Spaghetti. Meatballs. Mom gave me the recipe."

"Well, it's a good thing Clark has an iron constitution."

"Hey, I'll have you know I am starting to get the hang of this cooking thing."

She raised her eyebrows at her cousin. "Cooking thing?"

"You know what I mean," Lois said, rolling her eyes. She put the lid on the pan and turned the heat down, then wiped her hands on the towel left on the counter. "Want some wine?"

"Sure." She watched as Lois took a bottle of wine from the fridge and looked at the label. "Brancott Estate? Where's that?"

"Some little place in New Zealand. Clark was there a while ago helping out when they had severe flooding. Saved a vineyard from losing its entire crop. They were so grateful they gave him a couple of bottles, since he wouldn't take payment. Try some."

Chloe took the glass her cousin handed her and sampled it.

"Hey, this isn't bad."

"Yeah, we like it."

They sat on the stools at the counter. Chloe glanced around. Clark had done a few renovations in the apartment since they'd moved in. They still had the farm, of course, but figured they needed an apartment that was close to work since Clark was supposed to be the 'mild-mannered reporter' who couldn't even open a jar of pickles by himself.

"So, how are you feeling?"

"Okay. Bruce and I had a long talk and he suggested I take a couple of weeks off, just to get my head clear. Even invited me to go to Gotham with him."

"Are you going to take him up on it?"

Chloe shook her head. She liked Bruce, but as a friend. There was only one person she really wanted to spend time with and he was a few blocks away in a clocktower.

She ran her finger up and down the glass, wondering how to broach the subject with Lois. Her cousin had dated Oliver and knew him pretty well. If anyone could advise her on how to get him interested in her, it was Lois.

"So, are you still seeing that guy? Whatsisname? Terry, Jerry? Larry, Moe, Curly?"

"No, I'm not seeing whatsisname," she answered. She had been broken up with the last guy, Brad, for weeks and her cousin hadn't even noticed.

"Sorry."

She shrugged. "It wasn't anything exciting anyway."

"But you were sleeping with him, weren't you?"

"I slept with him a couple of times but it was like ... I don't know. It was just ... boring. I mean, it was like I was just sleeping with him for the sake of it."

Lois got up to check the saucepan, giving the contents a quick stir before replacing the lid and sitting down again.

"So you had boring sex. You liked the guy though?"

"There was just no passion. I don't know. Maybe I'm just expecting too much."

"What about Ollie?"

"What about him?"

"You're crazy about him."

"That may be so, but it doesn't mean the sex is going to be good."

"Chloe, don't believe everything you read about sex. Trust me, even if you're crazy in love there are gonna be nights when the sex is just 'okay'."

"What do you mean by okay?"

"Well, sometimes it's like all I want to do is just get it over with, but Clark wants to take his time. I mean, you know I love Clark, and he's like the least selfish lover I've ever had. He takes the time to ensure I'm satisfied, even though all I really want to do is just roll over and go to sleep and I just wish he'd freakin' come already!"

Chloe frowned at her cousin.

"So, have you ever had, um ... I really can't believe I'm talking to you about this ... have you ever been with someone that you're really, really attracted to, but the sex is so bad you don't know why you bother?"

Lois drained her wine glass, nodding.

"Yeah, lots of times, but there could be lots of reasons why it happens. I mean, there have been times when Smallville and I haven't been able to ... well, let's just say that we've both had long days and we're tired and grouchy and no matter how hard we try we just can't seem to get it together long enough to enjoy the sex."

"Oh. Wow! See, I always thought it was me. I mean, where Jimmy was concerned. I loved Jimmy. Or at least I thought I did, but there were times when he would leave me unsatisfied and just fall asleep on top of me and I just ..."

Lois frowned at her.

"So you and Jimmy ... I mean, why did you marry him if it was that bad?"

"It wasn't all bad. The thing is, Jimmy was a really great guy and he was nice and sweet, but sometimes I just wished he would be a little more ... adventurous."

"So is Jimmy the guy you had the bad sex with?"

Chloe looked at her cousin.

"Who said I had bad sex?"

Lois rolled her eyes. "Come on, cuz, I can read between the lines. You wouldn't be asking me all these questions if you hadn't had bad sex. So who was it?"

"Umm ..." She didn't want to tell her cousin. Not this anyway. It was just too embarrassing. Not to mention the fact that she'd actually dated Oliver at one time.

"Chlo ..."

"Okay, okay, enough with the third degree already! It was Oliver."

Lois' eyes widened as she stared at her. "As in my Ollie? As in my ex Ollie?"

"Yes," she said, grimacing.

"Oh my god, Chloe! You had bad sex with Ollie?"

"Well ..."

"How bad are we talking?"

"Um, well, I think we were both a little drunk. It felt kind of rushed and I wasn't fully, um, aroused and well, it hurt. A little. And then I got nauseous and I had to run for the bathroom. I was so embarrassed I wanted to just get out of there and he said it was pretty late and he wasn't about to let me walk the streets alone so he told me to stay. Anyway, in the morning it was really awkward and I couldn't wait to get out of there, so I told him I wasn't ready to start something with him. That's pretty much where we ended things."

Lois had covered her mouth with her hand. Chloe narrowed her eyes at her cousin.

"You're laughing. I can't believe you're laughing."

"Oh Chlo, I'm sorry," she said, between giggles. "It's just so ... I mean, you really have no idea."

"Why? What was it like between you and Ollie?"

"Well, it wasn't as bad as that," the other woman said, still giggling. "Then again, we really only slept together a couple of times. The rest of the time it was all interruptus and no coitus. He was always off being Green Arrow, not that I knew that at the time."

Chloe groaned. "I am doomed to a life of celibacy!"

"You stop that right now!" Lois said sternly. "Look, you care about Ollie and I know he cares about you. Or what do you think he and Clark do when they're on their nights off?"

"What do you mean?"

"Ollie spends about half the time he comes to visit practically crying on Clark's shoulder because he's so in love with you he can't see straight. I mean, why do you think he comes here every month? It's sure as hell not to check up on his companies."

Chloe stared at her cousin.

"Ollie's in love with me?"

"Yes. Where have you been?"

"Apparently in a galaxy far, far away."

"Look, honey, so your first time with Ollie was bad. You were both under a lot of pressure and I'm guessing you were feeling a little down that night. The worst thing you can do when you're depressed is go to bed with someone. Even someone as hot as Ollie.

"Besides, you've never been the type of person to go to bed with someone you didn't have feelings for. You've never been a one-night stand kind of girl."

"Well, maybe that's not exactly true. Lately."

"Come on. How many times did you go out with that guy? Mike?"

"Yeah. Okay, okay, we went out for about a month before I ... and not that the sex was bad but I wasn't exactly ... satisfied either."

There'd been other guys too, but they hadn't exactly been one-night stands. She'd been going out with them for weeks before going to bed with them and yet the sex had left her wondering if this was it.

"Look, Chlo, the point I'm trying to make about you and Ollie is that bad sex does not equal a bad relationship. I mean, look at you guys now. He loves you, you love him and you're the best of friends. Trust me, that is a solid foundation for any relationship."

"What about passion?"

"Passion schmassion. It's highly over-rated. Besides, you think my relationship with Clark is all about passion?"

"No. I mean, yeah, you're two passionate people, but ..."

"Passion is great for when you want really great sex, but if you base a relationship only on sex, then you're heading down a dead-end road. Sex does not equal love and love does not equal sex. Get it?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Good. Now turn that frown upside down and let's start thinking up ways for you to go get your man."


	8. Chapter 8

VIII

"What are you doing with Chloe?"

Bruce looked up at Oliver, a frown on his face.

"Excuse me?" he said.

"Chloe. I saw you with her yesterday."

The other man looked faintly amused as he leaned back in the chair. He'd apparently borrowed the editor-in-chief's office while he completed his task of 'cleaning up' the aftermath of the storm raging since Chloe's friend's death.

"Chloe is nothing more than a close friend."

"Yeah, I can see how close you two were."

"Oliver, either you're delusional or you're jealous. Right now, I'm swaying toward the latter. Chloe and I have been friends since I met her in Gotham. As to what you're referring to, I can only assume you saw her with me when I took her out for coffee. She was upset and I decided to cheer her up but all she could talk about over coffee was you."

Oliver blinked rapidly, then shuffled his feet feeling a little embarrassed. Clark had told him Chloe had feelings for him but it hadn't really sunk in. That or he had been too drunk. Hell, his head was feeling like someone was using a jackhammer on it.

"Uh ..."

"Shouldn't you be talking with Chloe about this?" Bruce asked.

"She's been through enough. I don't want to push her into something she's not ready for."

"Are you dense or just insane? I would think that this is the time when Chloe would need it the most. I'm not talking about you taking her to bed, Oliver. You're right that she isn't ready for that, but for the love of God, talk to her and tell her how you feel. She's grieving, yes, but you won't show her you care for her by keeping your distance!"

"I'm an idiot," Oliver groaned, sinking down on the couch which sat adjacent to the huge desk.

"You'll get no argument from me on that score," Bruce said mildly. "Look, God knows I'm no expert when it comes to relationships, but I will tell you this. If you let a woman like that slip through your fingers you will regret it for the rest of your life."

"You're right," he sighed, leaning back. Who knew Bruce would be so insightful, considering his chequered history with women.

Bruce closed the file he had clearly been reading and looked at him for a long moment.

"Was there something else, Oliver?"

"Well, I was talking to Clark last night. Well, I think it was Clark who was telling me. He told me what you discovered about Kathleen."

Bruce scowled. "Disgraceful business," he said. "Unfortunately it has become far more prevalent in today's high-tech society. I have a few contacts who work in social media and I'll be funding a campaign to lobby Congress to thoroughly investigate ..."

"I'd like to help," Oliver interrupted.

"You?"

He nodded, biting his lip. "Look, I know you don't exactly have a high opinion of me. I'm betting you heard what I was like at Excelsior. But I need you to know that I would never, ever have let it get to a point where someone like Kathleen would ..." He broke off.

When he'd been a student at the prep school, he had hung around with a bad crowd. Or as bad as trust fund kids could be. Alden and Jeffrey had both come from families whose ancestry in America dated back to Plymouth Rock. Their families had been connected to British nobility, although Oliver had often wondered if their peerage had been bought centuries before.

Oliver's family, too, had also been able to trace its ancestry to the early settlers, although the Queens hadn't come into money until after the Civil War.

Lex's family, on the other hand, showed no such connections. Lionel Luthor had been considered something of a joke among Oliver and his peers and for that, as well as many other reasons, Lex was bullied.

Oliver was ashamed of that past now. If he could have taken it back, he would have. Especially after things had got out of hand with a boy who had once been Lex's only friend.

He had done a lot of growing up in the years since he'd left that school. It wasn't just his time on a deserted island that had made him into Green Arrow. After all, he thought, experiences were what shaped a person and he had more than his fair share of mistakes.

Oliver had once considered himself unworthy of the Queen name, wondering why he had been given such advantages when he hadn't really earned them.

For that reason, he had become a staunch defender of those who weren't able to defend themselves. Those who weren't born into such privilege.

"Oliver, I get it. The fact is, I see the work you have been doing over the past three or four years. You've contributed to a number of worthy causes and you've built a name for yourself, not only as Green Arrow, which you can be proud of. I believe you when you say you want to help and I will take as much help as I can get. Again, I have to ask. Why aren't you talking to Chloe about this? If anyone would understand how you are feeling about this, she would."

Bruce was right. Again. He got up.

"Thanks. I guess I just needed it put into perspective."

"Any time," the Gotham billionaire told him. "Good luck," he murmured as Oliver left.

He bumped into Perry White on his way downstairs to Chloe's office.

"Mr Queen," Perry said, looking surprised to see him there.

"Uh, Mr White. How are you?"

"Well, let's see, I'm down about ten percent of my staff," he growled. "Thanks to Mr Wayne and his pink slips."

"I heard about that, but I kind of understand where he's coming from."

"Yeah, I guess he's right. He is the boss after all."

"Is Chloe in her office?" he asked, not wanting to dawdle.

"No. Chloe is taking two weeks' leave, as of now." He looked a little annoyed. "Again thanks to Mr Wayne. Sure, my reporters can take time off whenever they please."

"Well, to be fair, Chloe did just lose a friend," Oliver chided him gently.

"You're right," Perry answered. "Anyway, I'm not sure what her plans are, but she left here about ten minutes ago."

"Thanks."

Oliver ignored the lift in favour of running down the stairs and out to his car which he'd parked on the street. Only to find the space occupied by a courier van.

"It got towed away."

Oliver frowned and looked around, then stared in surprise at the young girl about eight years old watching him from the sidewalk. She had a lollipop in her mouth.

"I'm sorry?"

"The man with the truck got mad because there was this nice car there and he called someone and they took it away."

This was just not his day, he sighed. He called his GPS monitoring company and got the location of his car. It had been towed away to the city impound lot about thirty blocks from the Daily Planet. Oliver hailed a cab and threw some money at the driver, telling him to get as quickly as he could to the impound lot.

Twenty minutes later, he got out of the cab and approached the booth.

"Oliver Queen," he said, showing his driver's licence to the man. "I believe my car is here."

The man peered at the licence, his expression one of complete indifference. Oliver didn't want to waste his time explaining his predicament, pulling out his wallet.

"How much to get my car back?"

The man tapped a few keys and looked at his monitor.

"You were parked illegally," he said flatly. "And you got a few parking violations."

"Okay, how much," he said, deciding now was not the time to dispute any parking violations.

"Lessee, parking on a fire hydrant. Twice. Parking in a loading zone. Parking in a bus stop. Parking in a taxi stand." The man whistled and shook his head. "You rich people are all alike. Think you can do whatever you please."

"How much?" Oliver was practically begging now.

"One thousand six hundred and fifteen dollars. Including surcharge."

He gaped. Had he really racked up that many fines? He guessed he shouldn't have been surprised his car was impounded. They had pretty strict rules about unpaid parking violations in Metropolis. It was usually three strikes and you were out.

"Uh ..." He grinned sheepishly. "Do you take Visa?"

Boy, when the gang heard about this he was going to be laughed out of Watchtower. What an idiot, he berated himself as he paid his fine and waited until the man pressed the buzzer to let him through the security gate.

He quickly found his Lamborghini and inserted the key in the ignition. As he turned it, he heard nothing but a clunk. He closed his eyes in despair, dropping his head to hit the top of the steering wheel.

"Really not my day," he grumbled.

He took his phone from his pocket, only to find the battery was flat. Great. He was so going to speak to the techs in his company about faulty batteries.

Oliver got out of the car and went back to the booth.

"Uh, can I use your phone? Your truck must have loosened something in the motor when it towed my car and I ..."

The man glowered at him. Oliver quickly realised his mistake. He really shouldn't have mentioned the tow truck.

"Look, man, I just really need to use your phone. My car won't start and I need to call my mechanic."

"Why don't you fix it yourself?" the man said snidely. "Or is shop class not taught in your rich kid school?"

Oliver was starting to get really irritated with this guy. He dearly wanted to go Green Arrow on the guy's ass, but figured it wasn't the best way to get him on side. He pulled out his wallet and slammed a fifty down on the edge of the pay window.

"I'll pay for the call. Just let me use the phone."

The man's beady eyes lit up at the fifty. He started to reach for it and Oliver put his hand over it.

"Phone first," he said.

The clerk handed over a cellphone and Oliver dialled his mechanic, Dave, who promised to come and look at the car. Oliver had tried to fix something in the engine once only to be ripped a new one by Dave for even messing with such a beautiful piece of machinery. The man had basically told him to stick with his day-job and stay out of things he knew nothing about.

Oliver paced the yard impatiently, waiting for Dave to show. It had been at least forty-five minutes since he'd left the Planet and while it didn't sound like a lot, he worried Chloe could have already packed and left her apartment. That was if she had plans to go anywhere for her two weeks off.

Dave arrived about ten minutes later, strolling into the yard with toolbox in hand.

"You didn't ... touch anything, did you?"

Oliver held up his hands in mock surrender. "I learned my lesson last time," he assured the man.

Dave grinned and got in the car, popping the hood.

"All righty, let's take a look."

He bent over the engine for a few minutes, muttering something which Oliver couldn't understand. He asked Oliver for a couple of tools and worked for another couple of minutes, then stood up, wiping his hands on a rag in the back of his pocket.

"Okay, why don't you try and start 'er up," he said.

Nodding, Oliver got in the driver's seat and turned the key. The engine roared into life, then idled.

"Purring like a kitten," Dave smiled.

"So what was it?"

"Coupla loose connections. I swear these guys know nothing about expensive machinery, else they would be more careful 'bout towing 'em. I should give 'em a piece of my mind."

"Thanks Dave, but it was my fault in the first place. Should have paid my fines."

The mechanic nodded his agreement. He walked off with a little wave, getting into his truck parked by the gate and taking off. Oliver put his car in gear and drove out without a backward glance at the greedy clerk who he was sure was cursing him anyway.

Oliver drove through the city streets to Chloe's apartment, letting himself in and running up the five flights of stairs to her door. He knocked for a good five minutes and called her name, but there was no reply.

Damn it! he thought.

Sighing dejectedly, he walked back downstairs to his car, deciding to go to his apartment and regroup.

As he opened the gate of the elevator and stepped into his apartment, he started at the sight before him. Chloe stood in the middle of his living room wearing a dress in emerald green that moulded to her curves and brought out the green in her eyes. She was ... breathtaking.

He paused, staring at her for a few moments until he realised she was growing uncomfortable from his stare, her stance shifting with nervousness. Spurred into action, he crossed the floor and wrapped his arms around her, tilting her head and capturing her lips in a deep, passionate kiss.

Chloe was panting, her chest heaving as he broke away from her what seemed like several minutes later. Her beautiful green eyes were wide with surprise and what Ollie hoped was desire.

"Wow! I think you just broke the record for the longest kiss in television history," she said.

He frowned slightly, but didn't ask her to elaborate. He wanted to ask her a million questions. How did she get in, why the dress and more importantly, why now? He led her to the couch and sat down.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you," he said.

"Really?" she asked.

He nodded. "I was at the Planet earlier and Perry told me you were taking a couple of weeks leave."

"Bruce suggested it," she said. He grimaced and she took his hand in hers, stroking his thumb. "Don't be like that. He's just trying to be a friend."

Oliver didn't comment.

"Anyway," he said, "I figured I'd try and catch you at your apartment." He launched into the saga of his car being towed and then breaking down. By the time he had finished Chloe was laughing her head off.

"It's not funny," he said, feeling a little wounded.

"Oh, but you should see your face," she chortled. "Poor baby," she added, her lips forming a pout. "Sounds like you've had a rough day."

"I've had better," he grumbled.

She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Well, I know what will cheer you up," she said.

"Do tell."

"I have dinner warming up in the oven, from the finest Chinese restaurant, I might add. I wouldn't even think of subjecting you to my cooking. And classic comedies guaranteed to put a smile on your dial."

He didn't need comedies or even food, no matter how good it was. Just her mere presence was enough to make him smile. Still, he didn't want to sound like a sap.

"Guaranteed, huh?"

"One hundred percent," she told him, nodding.

"Well, lead the way, Miss Sullivan."


	9. Chapter 9

IX

Chloe had been nervous as she had prepared to go to Oliver's apartment. After her talk with her cousin the night before she had decided she wasn't going to waste any more time and tell the man how she felt about him. If Lois was right about him returning his feelings, then the chances were pretty good that things would turn out all right.

That was if she could stop shaking.

Lois had advised her to start small. Like with dinner. The way to a man's heart was through his stomach and she had shared enough dinners with Oliver to know what he liked. She wasn't a great cook but she wasn't a bad one either. She just wasn't confident enough that she could cook something that would give him the right message, so she had called in an order to a Chinese restaurant that actually made authentic Chinese food.

The dress had been Lois' idea. Chloe had bought it on a whim about a year earlier, thinking the colour would work well to bring out the green in her eyes and her blonde hair. Sure, it was Ollie's favourite colour – he was Green Arrow after all, but Chloe's research had dug up a few of the more esoteric beliefs on the colour. Like it represented 'life' or renewal. She wanted the dress to be a symbol not only of her acceptance of him, but of a new phase of her relationship with him. Whether he would get that was another matter. Oliver was an intelligent man; he didn't consider himself to be a genius but there were other ways of measuring intelligence than through academic achievement. She figured he would at least understand most of what she was trying to say.

As she smoothed down the folds of the knee-length skirt and made sure the spaghetti straps were safely on her shoulders, she was reminded of another green dress she had worn once. It had been her birthday and she had been feeling a little, well 'reflective' was what she had told Ollie. He of course had been trying to get her to cheer up but at the time she hadn't wanted to be cheered up. She'd been too busy envying Lois and Clark because they were where she still wanted to be.

Becoming Watchtower full-time hadn't exactly fulfilled all her fantasies either. She'd found herself retreating into her virtual world instead of living life. When the opportunity had come up for her to get her job back at the Daily Planet, she had taken it.

Chloe glanced once more at her reflection and sighed. Reflecting on past mistakes wasn't going to get her closer to Oliver, or ease her nervousness. Deciding she had done all she could to arm herself, so to speak, she picked up her purse and left the apartment, driving to the Chinese restaurant to pick up her order.

Oliver had given her a key long ago so she could enter his apartment. It spoke highly of his trust in her, since he did keep a few confidential documents in his office off the living room. Still, nearly two years of being Watchtower had given her access to practically anything she asked for and she had never used it unless it helped the Justice League.

She had just managed to get dinner in the oven to keep warm when the security system alerted her to the elevator. Chloe ran to the living room and tried to get her nerves under control, taking in deep breaths as the elevator opened and Oliver stepped out. He stared at her, not saying a word and she shifted her stance nervously, wondering why he was staring at her that way.

Then he crossed the floor and his lips met hers for the most passionate kiss she had ever had. She wrapped her arms around him, less out of a need to feel him close and more out of a need to keep her balance as his lips devoured her, making her feel light-headed with desire. Her body burned, her face flushing. Not even Jimmy, who she had loved enough to marry, had ever kissed her like this.

When he finally let her go she was breathless and dizzy. She made some inane comment that just sounded like so much gibberish in her head. Oliver frowned at her. It seemed like he wanted to ask her a million questions but instead he led her to the couch and sat down.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you," he said.

"Really?" she asked.

He nodded. "I was at the Planet earlier and Perry told me you were taking a couple of weeks leave."

She told him Bruce had suggested it and she saw the look that crossed his face. It wasn't that he disliked the Gotham billionaire, she thought. He was clearly jealous. She tried to be reassuring, taking his hand in hers and stroking his thumb in what she hoped he would take as a gesture of reassurance.

Then he told her the sorry tale of trying to catch her after she'd left the Planet only for his car to be towed away and to break down. Chloe couldn't help laughing at his expression, especially the way he stuck out his bottom lip when describing the attitude of the man at the impound lot. It was one of those things that she was sure that even though he didn't feel like laughing now, he would laugh about it later.

He still looked wounded that she was laughing at him.

"It's not funny," he said.

"Oh, but you should see your face," she chortled. "Poor baby," she added, her lips forming a pout. "Sounds like you've had a rough day."

She told him she had dinner warming up and she had rented a couple of movies that she hoped, since he was a Monty Python fan, he might enjoy. He smiled and followed her out to the kitchen.

Chloe served up dinner while he started to open a bottle of wine, then stopped in the middle of taking off the seal.

"Uh, you know, I think I'll skip wine tonight," he said. "I kind of went on a bender last night."

She frowned at him. "You did? Why?"

"Uh, why don't we talk about that after dinner? You can still have some wine if you want. Or I have juice?"

"Juice works for me," she said cheerily, her nervousness already gone.

"Why don't we take this out to the living room," he said picking up the plates. "We can put on a disc."

"Sounds like a plan," she answered lightly.

They curled up on the couch together with their plates and chopsticks. Oliver ate slowly then glanced over at her plate.

"You didn't get any lamb," he told her, pointing out the lack of Mongolian Lamb on her plate.

"You like lamb," she answered reasonably.

He picked up a piece, covered in sauce, with a chopstick and held it out to her.

"Come on, have some."

Chloe shot him a look of mock exasperation, but let him feed it to her. A small piece fell off and landed on her skirt.

"Great," she sighed. The sauce was going to stain.

Oliver immediately put his plate down. "I'll be right back," he said, going back out to the kitchen. He returned about a minute later with a bottle and a soft cloth. Chloe glanced at the label on the bottle.

"Club soda?"

"Helps get rid of stains on fabrics."

She grinned at him as he dabbed the stain on her dress.

"Well, look at you. All domestic. Who'd have thunk it?"

He growled at her, continuing to dab at the stain. Chloe was starting to feel a little uncomfortable with how close he was getting to one part of her body.

"Uh, I think this is okay," she said.

"Sorry. It was my fault. I just didn't want you to ruin such a pretty dress."

He had turned away, putting the bottle and the cloth on the glass table beside the couch. She looked up at him coyly, her cheek feeling flushed.

"You think my dress is pretty?" she said.

He nodded slowly. "Of course, it's the person in the dress that, you know, makes it, um ..." He appeared to falter, then gather his nerve. "You're beautiful Chloe."

She stared at him for a moment, wondering what to say in response to that. He answered it for her, pressing his lips to hers in a soft kiss. Not as passionate as before but still enough to get her nerves tingling. Chloe heard something drop on the floor and realised it was a chopstick from her plate which she had still been holding.

"Uh, you know we should, um, eat the rest of our dinner before it gets cold," she said.

"Yeah," he said, although he clearly wasn't interested in dinner. It almost felt like he wanted to devour her instead.

Chloe ate the rest of her food, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. She wasn't sure if it was from nervousness or the fact that he had kissed her twice, without saying anything and it had awoken so many things in her that she really wanted to just forget the food and jump his bones.

None of the other guys she had dated had ever made her feel like this.

What was it about Oliver Queen that made her feel so good? Was it that he was good-looking? Was it that he was probably the only guy who seemed to actually 'get' her?

Chloe put her plate down and sat back groaning to herself, wishing she could just stop analysing. Questions just kept going around and around in her head and she didn't know how to make them stop.

Oliver cleared his throat and she heard him putting his own plate down.

"Uh, so I was talking to Clark last night and Bruce, um, today. About what happened to your ... to Kathleen." She looked at him. His expression was sombre. She realised that as much as it had affected her personally, it had affected him on some level as well.

"Uh," he continued, "so they told me that Kathleen was bullied. I know it's kind of hypocritical, coming from me ..."

"Ollie, you're not a hypocrite."

"Yes, I am," he told her honestly. "That's what makes it hurt. Knowing the things I did. I mean, I keep telling myself that it was all harmless fun, but I can't help thinking that maybe if I'd been a better person, then Lex wouldn't have ..."

"Whoa, hold up! You cannot blame yourself for what Lex became. You know, Kathleen told me she was bullied when she was a teenager and she didn't turn out to be a super-villain. If anything, she was one of the nicest people you could ever meet and the most compassionate. She had her problems and yeah, she was harder on herself than she was on others, but she would never have hurt a fly. There's no comparison between her and Lex. He made his choices."

"But ..."

"No, no buts. I mean, you know what really annoys me? It's these so-called civil liberties idiots who try to justify criminal behaviour because of their upbringing. Lots of people have rough childhoods but you know what? Not all of them go out and commit murders or armed robberies. The reason those people do these things is because they're sociopaths. Because there's something 'wrong' with them." She was sure someone would try to find the flaw in her logic, but it was her opinion and she was sticking to it.

Oliver sighed. "Well, when you put it that way ..."

"Ollie," she said softly, reaching out to put a hand on his arm. "I'm not condoning what you did in school, but you were a kid, and kids do stupid things sometimes. The fact is, you grew up and you learned from your mistakes. You go out of your way now to help people you once would have made fun of, and don't think I don't know about your little donations to charities for the poor."

He looked down. "I didn't know you knew about that," he said. "It's not like I publicise it."

She grinned at him. She had managed to dig up a few things thanks to some sources and learned Oliver had made some fairly substantial anonymous donations over the years.

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't have been Watchtower if I hadn't been able to figure out how to get around a few firewalls, now would I?"

"I still want to help in some way," he said. "It bothers me. Bruce is right, you know? It should never have happened."

"Well, I'm sure there are some groups you could contribute to. Maybe you could contact Mrs Kent and see if she can get the ball rolling on cyber-bullying. Making some law or something."

He brightened. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?"

"I'm sure you would have eventually," Chloe told him. "Ollie ..."

"Chloe, I know she was your friend, but it feels like this is something I have to do. I know what it's like to hit rock-bottom and think there's no way out. I know what it's like to let pride stop you from reaching out to your friends. I also know if you had had any inkling that this might happen, you would have found a way to stop it."

"That's the thing. I did know. She told me about losing the promotion and she mentioned something about the bullying and I didn't pick up on it."

"That's not your fault, Chloe. Don't ever blame yourself or think you didn't do enough for her. The point is, you tried your best."

"Even Bruce said it might have happened earlier if I hadn't been her friend."

"You did everything you could," he said softly.

Chloe thought back to the letter Kathleen had written. Her friend had begged in the letter for Chloe not to let herself go down the same road Kathleen had. She wanted to honour her friend's memory and her last wish.

"I know," she said. "That's kind of what she said in her letter. That sometimes friendship just isn't enough to save someone from darkness."

Oliver pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head.

"She wanted me to be happy," Chloe told him, then lifted her head to look at him. "She told me she didn't want me to end up alone like she did."

"You're not alone, Chloe. You have me." He canted his head. "Well, Clark and Lois too, but ... I ... I want to make you happy, if you'll let me."

"Ollie, I ..."

He took a deep breath, his brown eyes doing an odd dance, as if he was trying to work up the courage to say something.

"Chloe I ... I'm in love with you. I have been for a long time, I just didn't know how to ... I mean I wanted to tell you so many times and I ..."

She took his head in her hands and looked deep in his eyes, cutting him off.

"Ollie, stop talking and just kiss me."


	10. Chapter 10

X

Oliver looked at her, feeling as if all his Christmases had come at once. She stared back at him expectantly. He frowned, then remembered. Well, if she wanted a kiss then he would kiss her like she'd never been kissed before.

He did just that, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her before gently pressing his lips to hers. He started off slow with a soft kiss, designed to just give her a taste. Chloe's mouth opened under his and her tongue darted forward. He responded with a thrust of his own, deepening the kiss, putting everything he had into it. He tasted the spices from their meal earlier and the sweet stickiness of the juice on her lips. He felt the warmth of her breath, hearing it quicken, just as her heartbeat did under him.

Oliver lifted one hand to the back of her head, his fingers playing with the soft curls. He never knew from day to day how Chloe would wear her hair. One day it would be curly, the next straight. She'd always had it fairly short, no more than shoulder-length. While the short style brought out the prettiness in her face, he had wondered more than once how she would look with long hair, diamonds in her ears. He had once had a vision of her in a shimmering gown, her hair up in a French knot, long earrings emphasising her slender neck.

Somehow, Chloe had ended up straddling his lap as they continued to kiss, her ass nestled firmly over his crotch. He could feel himself hardening as her body moved, creating enough friction between them that he knew he would be in a lot of trouble if this continued.

As badly as he wanted her, he wanted to do this right. He still remembered the night he had taught her to shoot an arrow, the one disastrous night when they'd had sex. He should have known then that having sex with someone, no matter how much he wanted it, when they were drunk and a little down on themselves, was not the best way to start a relationship.

He'd tried to back-track, thinking that if he told her he wasn't looking for a serious relationship she might not look so much like the scared rabbit she had looked like at the time. It hadn't worked.

Usually there was nothing more bruising to the ego than a girl throwing up after he'd had sex with her, but all he had been able to think about at the time was Chloe and how she was feeling. He had seen she was embarrassed and he'd done his best to ease her mortification, getting her to come back to bed with him hoping that in the morning, once they were sober and had a chance to talk, he could convince her to try it again.

But then Chloe had run away leaving him thinking that perhaps he had imagined that answering spark of attraction in her eyes. So he'd chosen to let her go, thinking that if it was meant to be then something would happen to bring them back together.

He hadn't thought it would take four years.

Chloe moaned as they broke apart. She was panting as if she'd run a race, her gaze heavy with desire.

"You okay?" he asked.

She nodded, still looking as if she couldn't quite believe what had happened. The shoulder straps of her dress had slipped down, giving him just a glimpse of her breast. He stared at it, wanting nothing more than to pull the neckline of the dress down to expose that creamy mound, to knead it with his fingers, take it in his mouth and ...

Stop it, he told himself. She's not ready for this.

"Ollie?" Chloe was looking up at him, puzzled by his silence.

He gently pushed her back onto the couch and put a little distance between them. She looked a little hurt.

"Don't," he told her.

"Don't what? Why are you pushing me away?"

He got up, mentally willing down the erection confined within his jeans, adjusting them to try and relieve the pressure.

"Ollie ..."

"Chloe, I don't want to do anything to upset you. You have no idea how badly I want you right now. But I want to do this right. I don't want to just jump into bed with you."

"Then what do you want?"

Thankful that he had managed to at least get himself under some semblance of control, he turned to look at her.

"I want to take you out. Go on a real date, rather than be just two friends hanging out. I want you to come with me to Star City."

"And then what?"

He shrugged. "I don't know how this works, Chloe. I've never felt this way about anyone before."

"What about Lois?"

He frowned at her. "What about her?"

"I thought you loved Lois?"

"I did. I do. As a friend. Oh, come on, Chloe!" he added as she looked at him in disbelief. "We both know she and Clark have been crazy about each other since the year dot."

"That's not the impression I got."

He sat next to her again.

"You lost me honey."

"Remember the night I came over. We got drunk, and you know, had, um, sex." She blushed beet red.

He frowned at her. "What about it?"

"You talk in your sleep."

He stared. That was a new one. "I do?"

"You do," she confirmed. "You said my cousin's name. Twice. Then you said 'I love you'."

She looked so hurt and confused that all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and never let go. But they clearly had a few issues they needed to get out in the open.

"Is that why you left the way you did?"

She looked away, then nodded.

"The whole thing with Jimmy ... so much of it is a blur. I agreed to marry him before I even thought about what it really meant. I mean, I loved him, I just don't know if I was in love with him. Enough to marry him. I sometimes wonder if it was a Brainiac thing. Like it was meant to make Davis jealous."

"But you became engaged to Jimmy before you met Davis."

"That's true. Oh, it's all so muddled in my head," she answered.

"Jimmy was your first real boyfriend, wasn't he?"

"Well, I did go out with this guy for like five minutes back in high school. There was Clark, of course, who took me to the spring formal, but we never really ... I mean, at first I had a total crush on him, but you know, things like that fade. Jimmy was the first guy I ever, uh, slept with."

"So maybe your agreeing to marry him was connected to that. Like he was the first guy who ever loved you, so maybe you felt a little obligated."

"Nooo," she said slowly. "I don't think that's it."

He shrugged. "Well, it's just a theory." He went on. "So, that morning when you told me you weren't over Jimmy, that was a lie, wasn't it?"

"A little white lie, I guess."

She'd lied to protect herself. Her feelings had been hurt by what she thought she had heard him say and rather than tell him the truth, she had put up a wall between them. Oliver groaned to himself. If he'd just had the guts to stop her from walking out that morning, they wouldn't have wasted so much time.

"Chloe," he sighed. "I wish you had told me this." He took her hands. "I wasn't in love with Lois. It's like the feelings you had for Clark. I know now if I had truly loved Lois, if I was really in love with her, then nothing would have stopped us getting together."

"What about that night she set up that blind date?"

"I was a major idiot that night. I thought I could start afresh with her, try to build something with her. I told her I loved her hoping that maybe if I said it enough times it would actually be true. I was holding on to something that didn't exist, when all I really had with her was a good friendship. Yes, I was attracted to her. Lois is a beautiful woman. But all we had was physical attraction. The thing about Lois is, she's brash. She's loud and at times unsophisticated. She speaks without thinking and there were quite a few times I had to pull her ass out of the fire."

Chloe was giggling, covering her mouth with her hand. Oliver chuckled.

"Yeah, that's our Lois. I mean, she was, what? Twenty when we met?"

Chloe nodded.

"She's been brought up around army grunts and guys whose idea of good conversation is the size of their guns. It's not her fault. She's an army brat. I think that's why she and Clark are so good together. They're not 'city' kids like you and I. I'm not saying Clark is unsophisticated. He's lived in Metropolis for a few years now and he's better at it than he used to be." He groaned. "Not that I'm saying he's a country hick and oh god, stop me before I hurt myself."

Chloe giggled again. "I get it," she said. "Clark and Lois are good together because of what they have in common. You loved Lois but didn't have a lot in common with her."

"Lois never actually 'got' me. I mean, she's not afraid to call a spade a spade and yeah, she called me a jackass a few times, which I more than likely deserved but yeah, that night, when she told me she was in love with Clark, I realised that I needed more than that. And then the Dark Archer came after Lois, and then you, and it made me start to think about how much you meant to me."

Chloe was silent for a few moments. He wondered if she still felt herself in competition with her cousin. Lois was a beautiful woman, but so was Chloe.

She sighed. "It's just hard for me, you know. I mean, one minute you're declaring your love for Lois and the next you're wanting to sleep with me. It's like Clark acting all goofy over Lois and going back to drool over Lana the minute she turns up again. I mean, don't get me wrong. Lana's like one of my best friends, but ..."

"I do get it, but I kind of understand how Clark felt. I mean, we both know what it's like to lose someone we love and you get scared of losing someone else. You settle for what's safe rather than take a chance on something new because there's nothing more terrifying than taking a leap into the unknown and risking everything. Not just your heart. Chloe, I started realising I had feelings for you long before you married Jimmy but I didn't want to risk what we had."

"What do you mean, long before Jimmy?"

"Remember when Dinah attacked you at the Daily Planet? I was more worried that you would be badly hurt than getting to the disk. Only I didn't think anything of it at the time. When Clark told me you and Jimmy were getting married, I was jealous. Only I put it down to envy that you had found someone you wanted to spend the rest of your life with."

"You were really jealous?"

He nodded. He'd tried to focus on the task at hand, which at the time was trying to find Lex, but he remembered wondering what Chloe saw in the young man she was marrying. That she deserved better than that. Still, Chloe and he were friends at the time, and he didn't want to risk his friendship with her to voice his opinion.

Chloe still didn't seem totally convinced. He guessed what he'd said in his sleep still bothered her.

He had never told her, but after what had happened with Victoria Sinclair, Oliver had realised that he needed to confront some issues. So he had consulted a psychologist who had seen him for a few sessions. The woman had been a good listener, offering him advice on how to cope with his emotional issues. It wasn't something he liked to tell his friends. Not that he was afraid of them laughing at him. Lois probably would have punched him and told him it was about time he straightened himself out.

The psychologist had asked him to keep a diary. Even recording his dreams, as dreams were often the mind's way of trying to make sense of the day's events. He had recorded his feelings about the night he'd had sex with Chloe, although he'd never shown the psychologist, and he remembered having a vivid dream where Lois had come to him, telling him she was wrong about her feelings for Clark and that she still loved him.

He'd been telling her in the dream that he was in love with Chloe. That he'd been falling for her for months, years maybe, but Lois hadn't wanted to hear it, putting her arms around him and telling him that he was mistaking his feelings for Chloe for something else. He'd been trying to pull away, calling her name as she continued to babble on and Chloe had walked in on them looking hurt. He'd called out to her, telling her he loved her.

That, of course, was where the dream had ended.

"I want to show you something," he told Chloe.

She frowned at him as he got up and went to the bookshelf, picking out a brown hardcover volume.

"What is it?" she asked as he handed it to her.

"I never told anyone this, but I began seeing a psychologist. After the whole thing with the Toyman and Victoria." He didn't want to mention the suicide attempt. The last thing they needed to talk about was that. "Anyway, she asked me to keep a journal. I recorded everything. Including my dreams."

He showed her the entry from the morning after they'd slept together. Chloe read quietly, leaving him fidgeting. She was a fast reader, but it seemed she was deliberately taking her time so she could absorb it all.

She finally closed the book and looked up at him.

"Ollie ..."

He didn't know what to say or do, seeing the tears in her eyes. Chloe put her arms around him, kissing him on the forehead.

"I got it completely wrong, didn't I?" she said.

He looked at her. "I guess we both did. I should have never let you go, Chloe. I should have fought for you then. I should have ..."

She shushed him, brushing his blonde hair back and kissing him gently.

"No more," she said. "No more would have, could have, should have. Let's just put the past behind us and think about the future."

"Come with me to Star City," he pleaded. "You didn't get to see much of it when Jimmy was being treated there. I'd really like to show you my home."

"Yes, Ollie. I'll go with you," she said, her eyes shining.


	11. Chapter 11

XI

"Well, here we are."

Chloe put her bag down on the floor inside the foyer of the Queen mansion. She'd been in Lex's castle, of course, before it had burned to the ground, but she hadn't considered that Oliver would have a mansion all to himself.

She had never been that impressed by the trappings of wealth. Then again, she hadn't really had much growing up, since her father had worked a full-time job and hadn't really seen the need for a big house. It was only after he'd been promoted at the Luthorcorp plant that he'd put down a deposit on another house. Of course, that had all been blown out of the water after Lionel had fired him and had him blacklisted.

Still, the Queen mansion was impressive. It was nestled high in the hills of Star City, a huge modern construction which seemed to have been built to blend in to the environment. Inside, the decor was full of warm tones.

"It hasn't really changed much since my dad had it built," Oliver told her. He laid his palm on one of the wood panels. "My dad was into preserving the environment long before it became the 'in' thing to do."

"You miss him," she said, catching the wistful cadence in his voice.

"Yeah. My mom too." He sighed. "I said something really horrible to my mom the day they left on the plane. I told her I wished for new parents."

She frowned at him. "You said that?"

He nodded. "I was mad at them because they wouldn't let me miss school so I could go to Seoul with them. Dad had some meeting with the prime minister of South Korea. When I heard the plane had disappeared I cried for weeks thinking I was a horrible kid."

"Oh Ollie, I'm sure your mom knew you didn't really mean it."

He put an arm around her and hugged her, then walked with her up the stairs.

"Come on. Let me show you around the house," he said.

Chloe had to admit she felt overwhelmed by the huge house. She had expected some old villa, since the Queens had lived in Star City since it had been built two hundred years earlier. When she asked him about it, all Oliver told her was that the original house had been destroyed in an earthquake about thirty years before he was born. When his parents had first met, his father had lived in a penthouse in Queen Towers in the central city. Oliver still kept the penthouse as he often used it when he was working late.

It was raining so they didn't go outside, but Oliver showed her the huge living area which led to an outdoor recreation area with a heated swimming pool, tennis court and garden that put the one she remembered from her father's house in Smallville to shame. Not that her father had been much of a gardener, she thought with a smile.

Upstairs were six huge bedrooms, each lavishly furnished. Chloe noticed her bag had been placed in one of the rooms. Oliver looked a little nervous, which didn't seem like him at all.

"Uh, so this is your room. I asked the staff to make it comfortable for you." He pointed to a door leading off the bedroom. "Bathroom. And, uh, balcony," he said, showing her the French doors.

"Where do you ... um, where's your room?" she asked, wincing at the awkwardness of the question.

"Just ... just down the hall. I figured ... well, I didn't want to rush you, or anything. I mean, I want you to be comfortable while you're here."

He was blushing. It was actually kind of sweet. Chloe smiled at him and thanked him. He hugged her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Why don't you go ahead and get unpacked and I'll see you downstairs in, oh, half an hour? I have a couple of business calls to make."

"Sure," she said, picking up her case and laying it on the bed.

She took her time unpacking. Unlike Lois, who preferred to pack for any eventuality, Chloe tended to be practical. After all, she was only going to be here two weeks. Ten days at most.

As she started to pull out the clothes she was going to hang in the closet, she picked up something small and lacy. Chloe held it by the thin spaghetti straps, staring at the green teddy. It reminded her of a teddy Lois had shown her when she had been planning a trip with Oliver to Monte Carlo.

_Lois had held it up against her. _

_"What do you think though? Should I have gone with the black lace?"_

_Chloe shook her head. "No. Something tells me green is definitely his colour."_

_Of course, then Clark had walked in and seen Lois still holding the teddy. He had blushed beet red._ Chloe grinned, shaking her head at the memory. How had Lois and Clark not realised then they were mad for each other?

She remembered going shopping once with Lois when they'd been planning the honeymoon. Chloe had picked out a black lace teddy in almost the same style as the green one, holding it up against her.

"Bring back a few memories, Lo?" she asked.

Lois had giggled. "Yeah. Who would have thought Clark could get so embarrassed by underwear?" She continued chuckling. "Of course, now, he just rips it off me. I swear I go through a dozen panties a month."

"Way too much information, Lois."

Chloe chuckled at the memory, rolling up the teddy and putting it in the drawer of the bureau in the walk-in closet. She continued unpacking her case, coming across a note Lois had obviously left for her.

_Don't do anything I wouldn't do, cuz. Love you. _

_PS: Don't wear him out._

She sighed and shook her head, laughing at her cousin. Lois had stopped by her apartment as she was packing and she had told the other woman she was going to stay with Ollie in Star City. Lois had been practically jumping up and down in excitement at the thought that Chloe was finally going to get the man of her dreams.

She'd then told Chloe that she had finally convinced Clark to talk to his father at the fortress to see if it was possible for them to have kids together. Jor-El had given them the green light to start a family, telling them it was not only possible, but also perfectly safe. He had lectured for what seemed like hours about the science of conception and gestation and clinical stuff Lois really hadn't wanted to hear but the gist of it was that any baby they conceived wouldn't start to develop powers until it was born.

Chloe couldn't wait to be an aunt.

She made her way downstairs half an hour later and went to look for Ollie. He was in his study, still talking on the phone.

"So seven?" he was saying. He must have heard her footsteps as he turned to smile at her, then spoke again into the phone. "Great. Thanks." He hung up.

"Seven?" she asked curiously.

"Well, I know it's your first night here. I was thinking I could take you out for dinner."

"That sounds great. So did you get all your phone calls done?"

He nodded. "I'm now all yours for the rest of the afternoon."

They ended up relaxing in the smaller living room, which was still at least twice the size of the combined kitchen/living room in Chloe's apartment. As Chloe snacked on a crisp green apple, she told him what Lois had told her.

"Huh. Clark told me there was no way he was going to talk to Jor-El about that."

"Well, you know Lois. She always could talk him into anything."

"I still think they'll be amazing parents," he said. "Any kid would be lucky to have them."

Chloe agreed with him. She envied Lois and Clark a little for the fact that Clark had such a great relationship with his mom and Lois now had a closer relationship with her father than she'd had growing up.

Chloe hadn't told Oliver but she did want to spend some of her time while she was in Star City trying to make up with her father. It was time they settled things.

She changed into a raspberry coloured shift dress for dinner. It was nothing too fancy but not casual either. He hadn't told her exactly where they were going for dinner but she guessed it would be a fairly upmarket restaurant. The hem of the dress ended just above her knees and had a high neckline and fitted skirt. She'd been working out a lot lately and her stomach was flatter than it used to be.

She decided to wear cream high-heeled sandals. Oliver was almost a foot taller than her and she wanted to be able to look at him without craning her neck.

Oliver was waiting in the foyer for her as she came down the stairs. He didn't comment on the dress but the brief hunger in his gaze and the little smile on his face told her he liked what he saw and appreciated the effort she had gone to. He was wearing casual trousers topped with a sport coat and green silk shirt.

He held her hand as they walked out to the waiting car, kissing her briefly on the nose as he opened the passenger side door and waited while she got in. It had stopped raining briefly and Chloe could smell the fresh scent of wet greenery.

She was quiet as Oliver drove down the hill and into the central city. She wasn't nervous, per se, but this was their first real date and she didn't want to mess it up. She guessed he was just as nervous about this as his knuckles were white from the tight hold he had on the steering wheel.

The restaurant was packed when they entered. A few people waiting to be seated glared at them as they walked up to the seating hostess. Oliver was clearly a regular guest as the woman smiled in recognition.

"Mr Queen. It's lovely to see you again. Your table will be ready in about twenty minutes. If you would like to take a seat at the bar while you wait ..."

A man approached the woman.

"Why does he get told twenty minutes when you told me it's an hour?" he groused, getting in the woman's face. Chloe was taken aback by how aggressive the man was.

Oliver put a hand on the man's shoulder and spoke calmly.

"Why don't you tone it down," he said quietly, "and let the lady do her job."

"Sir, you have a party of six and Mr Queen reserved a table for two. We do take walk-ins sir, but on the understanding that you must wait for a table."

"Just because he's a rich prick ..." the man continued to growl.

"Mr Queen is a customer of long-standing here and I would appreciate it if you would please return to your seat and wait until your table is ready. At present we have other people using the one suited for a party of six."

Still the man tried to push his way in. Oliver again spoke quietly and calmly.

"Buddy, if you don't calm down and start acting like a reasonable human being then the management are well within their rights to refuse service."

The disgruntled man glared at him.

"Yeah, what would you know about it, you bastard?"

Oliver just grinned wickedly. "Trust me, I've been thrown out of more bars and restaurants than I care to recall."

With that, he went through to the bar, taking Chloe's hand and ordered them each a glass of white wine from the bartender.

"Is that true?" she asked him as they sat down.

He nodded. "Far too many times," he said. "I've caused my fair share of mayhem. I used to act just like that guy there, throwing my money in people's faces thinking that would get me whatever I wanted."

"So, what changed?"

"I met you and Lois and Clark. I mean, just because I was Green Arrow doesn't mean I didn't act like a prick sometimes when I didn't get my way. But being with you, I learned you catch more flies with honey than vinegar."

Chloe laughed. "Ollie that sounded positively Kentian."

He chuckled. "It does, doesn't it? I guess Clark's rubbed off on me."

"It was hard for you, wasn't it? Growing up without your parents."

He nodded. "Yeah. I still miss them. It's been, what, twenty-five years. Sometimes I can still smell my mom's perfume, or I'll see something that reminds me of my dad and it'll bring it all back. I was angry for a long time, Chlo. I felt so alone for the longest time. I mean, I had friends. Don't get me wrong, but I guess, sometimes you can be surrounded by people and still feel like the loneliest person in the room. That all changed when I met you guys. We've had our ups and downs but I wouldn't change the last few years with you for anything."

Chloe squeezed his hand. Oliver had never really talked about his past and she guessed what it cost him to open up. It said a lot about his feelings for her that he could tell her things he wouldn't even have told Lois or Clark.

"Mr Queen, your table is ready now," the seating hostess told him with a bright smile.

"Thank you," he said, taking Chloe's hand and following the woman to the table.

Chloe sat down and perused the menu for a few minutes. A waiter approached them and introduced himself, asked if he could get them anything while they decided what to have then left them to study the menu.

Chloe looked at Oliver once she'd made her choices and he beckoned the waiter over, giving him their selection.

When the waiter left, he smiled at her.

"Tell me what it was like for you growing up."

"Well, my mom left when I was eight. I came downstairs one day to find my dad trying to cook breakfast. I had no idea why she left until I found out later on she'd admitted herself to the hospital. I just always thought she didn't want to be with us anymore. Dad never talked about it. I guess he was just hurt by the way she left."

"You moved to Smallville ... when?"

"Eighth grade. My first day at school, Clark is assigned to show me around and as soon as he tells me he lives on a farm I start to think he's Amish." She laughed at the amused look on his face. "Well, being born and bred in the city, I guess I never really paid much attention to where our meat came from."

Oliver laughed.

"Anyway, I convinced him to let me go home with him and I kissed him in the barn. That pretty much sealed our friendship."

"So in high school you began writing for the Torch."

"Don't forget I edited it too," she said.

He frowned. "A freshman editing a school newspaper?"

"Well, I'd already had a bit of experience at writing and Principal Kwan didn't have a lot of volunteers putting their hands up. So he gave me free reign. Mostly. Until I wrote an editorial trying to warn people about the meteor rocks. He told me if I wasn't going to stick to writing about school events then he was going to find someone else to do the job. Well, Lana took it over but begged him to reinstate me."

"I guess not everyone bought your theory."

"You know, for the longest time, Clark blamed himself for the meteors and what they did to people. I never really understood that."

"I guess I could say why, especially when he sees a correlation between those and how he got here. Still, he couldn't have been older than maybe three."

She nodded, sipping her water.

The conversation moved on to other things. Stories she had covered, places they had travelled. Chloe hadn't done a lot of travelling, having spent most of her time in Metropolis trying to establish her career. She had managed to get away a year ago to Hawaii on a press junket.

The conversation dwindled a little as their dinners arrived and they concentrated on eating. Oliver had ordered a chocolate mousse for dessert for himself while she had ordered cheesecake.

He held out his spoon.

"Try this," he said. "They make the best chocolate mousse here."

She let him feed it to her, closing her eyes in delight at the light, fluffy texture. It was neither too sweet, nor too bitter.

"Oh, that is divine!" she said. She picked up her fork and held out a bite of cheesecake. "Try mine."

Oliver grinned, taking the proffered morsel.

"That's great," he said.

They left the restaurant not long after finishing dessert, with Oliver driving back to the mansion looking more relaxed. He led her into the living room, putting on some soft instrumental music and sat her down on the wide suede covered couch. Chloe kicked off her sandals and curled her feet under her.

"Drink?" he asked.

"Sure. Some more wine would be nice."

She watched as he poured her a glass of white wine and poured himself a single malt.

"You never did tell me about the bender you went on," she prompted as he sat beside her.

"Oh, that," he said.

"Ollie?"

"I saw you with Bruce and I immediately jumped to conclusions. The wrong conclusions."

"You know he's just a friend," she told him, running her finger up and down her wine glass.

"Yeah, I know. Still, I was jealous."

She put her glass down on the table and moved closer to him, taking his glass and putting it down.

"You don't have to be, you know," she said. "I mean, I'm not in love with Bruce. I am, however, in love with this really cute, tall, blonde guy. Calls himself Oliver Queen. Wouldn't happen to know him, would you?"

"Nope," he said, shaking his head, his eyes twinkling. "What are you up to, Ms Sullivan?"

"Me? Not a thing," she replied, putting on an innocent expression while running her fingers up his arm.

"Uh-huh! Like I'll believe that."

She pouted at him and he grinned, pulling her closer so she was practically sitting in his lap.

"You know, we're supposed to be taking this slowly," he told her.

"This is slow," she answered before he kissed her, thrusting his tongue in her mouth.

Chloe had been prepared for the kiss but she hadn't been prepared for the onrush of emotion in his kiss. Or the way the clashing of their tongues seemed to set her senses on fire. She wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to get closer as she opened up to him like a bud opening up to the sun. She straddled his lap, pressing her breasts against his chest.

Oliver moaned and pushed her away gently, his expression one of reluctance.

"You ..." he said breathlessly, "are a very bad girl!"

"Am I?" she answered, grinning at him unrepentantly.

"Yes. You make it very difficult for me to stick to my resolve." He picked up his glass and sat back. "At this rate I'm going to need a very cold shower. Icy cold."

She looked down to see an obvious bulge in his pants.

"You know that whole thing about cold showers is a myth, don't you?" she pointed out, snickering.

He mock glared at her, but didn't comment. Chloe decided she'd tortured him enough for one night.

Next morning dawned bright and sunny and she went downstairs to join Oliver for breakfast. As she passed the study, she heard him talking angrily on the phone.

"I don't give a damn about that. You find that idiot editor and have him fired!"

"Ollie?"

He turned and looked at her, his anger seeming to melt at the sight of her.

"Chloe, I ..." He sighed and picked up a newspaper from the desk. "I guess you'll find out about this sooner or later."

"What is it?" she asked.

He held the page out to her. It was the gossip column of the Star City Sentinel. There was a full colour photograph of them together.

"Someone took a photo of us at the restaurant," he said. "And they had the nerve to print this garbage."

She quickly skimmed the article. The reporter had been good enough to find out who she was and had been speculating on the nature of their relationship. While their friendship hadn't exactly been behind closed doors, it hadn't been common knowledge either.

"Ollie, this isn't the end of the world," she told him.

"I don't like anyone invading our privacy like that."

She put the paper down on the desk and put her arms around his waist.

"Ollie, who cares what some gossip columnist thinks? She doesn't know anything about us. Don't get mad at the editor when he's just doing his job."

"You don't care that they might be printing lies about us?"

"Yes, I care if they print lies, but from what I can see in that article, it's just speculation. Ollie, I knew when I decided to come here with you that it might happen."

"I just don't like the idea of you being put under a microscope," he said, brushing her hair aside and kissing her gently.

"Hey, I love you, no matter what. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Now come on. It's a beautiful day outside and I for one don't want to waste a single second of it."

She pulled away to return to the living room but he grasped her hand.

"Not that way," he said, opening the French doors. Chloe followed him out, thinking he'd arranged for breakfast on the terrace.

She was stunned to see a guest sitting at the glass topped table drinking orange juice.

"Dad?"


	12. Chapter 12

XII

Oliver watched as Chloe stared at her father in stunned silence. He had wanted to surprise her and hoped it would be a good surprise. He knew she and her father hadn't spoken in a while and he had called Gabe the day before to invite him to breakfast.

Gabe stood up to greet Chloe.

"Hello sweetheart."

"Uh, you ... I ..."

"I wanted to surprise you," Oliver said quietly, glancing at her, trying to gauge her reaction. At least she didn't look angry, which was a good start. Her expression, however, did suggest that they would be talking very seriously later.

He pulled out a chair for her so she could sit down. He sat beside her and picked up the pitcher of orange juice.

"Would you like some juice, Chloe?" he asked.

"Um, yes please," she said, still looking a bit taken aback. She continued to stare at her father, clearly not knowing what to say to him.

"More juice Mr Sullivan?" Oliver asked.

"Yes, thank you, Oliver, and please, I've told you a hundred times to call me Gabe."

Oliver grinned at the older man. "Yes sir."

"Um ..." Chloe was frowning, looking from one to the other.

Oliver had helped Gabe get a job in Star City around the same time he'd found Moira a secure facility to stay in. Clark had once told him that Chloe's father had lost his job with Luthorcorp because of a conversation Clark had overheard between Chloe and Lionel. Lex had allowed it to happen even though Clark had been the one to tell him something his father had said.

While Chloe had helped Lex by testifying against Lionel, Lex had claimed there was little he could do to help Gabe, since he'd been blacklisted from any kind of employment, not just managerial positions. Instead he'd been forced to work in a grocery store in Granville as a checkout clerk, which Chloe had found humiliating for him.

Clark had appealed to Oliver, who had talked to one of the executive VPs of Renner Consolidated, a large manufacturing company based in Star City; one that Queen Industries did business with, but wasn't obligated to in any way, knowing they were in need of a competent manager for one of their plants. Gabe had got the job on his own qualifications and experience with Oliver only providing the recommendation.

The only other thing Oliver had done was take care of Moira's healthcare bills.

Chloe was quiet as she ate her scrambled eggs and bacon. Oliver glanced at her now and again, but she didn't seem tense, just contemplative. He decided someone needed to break the ice.

"So, how are things at the plant?" he asked Gabe.

"Great," the older man smiled. "In fact I interviewed the other day for a promotion in the company."

"Really? That's great. You know, I had lunch with Bob a couple of weeks ago and he spoke very highly of you."

Bob Barsky was an executive VP in the company's headquarters. It was his job to inspect the plants and make sure everything was up to code. He had told Oliver that the plant Gabe worked at not only met all the safety requirements but the workers were more than happy with Gabe's managerial style. He had mentioned he was considering the other man for a promotion.

"That's great Dad," Chloe smiled.

"I hear you're doing really well at the Planet," he told his daughter. "I always knew you'd be a great reporter, Chloe. You've always had that drive. Your mother would be so proud of you."

She nodded. "Yeah, I think she would too." She paused. "Uh, Dad, I guess ... I know we haven't, um, talked a lot, lately. More like the last five years or so."

"Chloe, honey, I know what you're going to say. You don't have to explain. I know what happened between you and Jimmy was complicated. I've had a lot of time to think about the things I said and you were right. I should have given you a fair hearing."

"I'm not sure I could have even explained what was going on," she admitted.

"Chloe, we lived in Smallville for quite a few years and I wasn't blind to the things that went on in that town. I know a lot of people blamed Luthorcorp for it, but I read enough of your stories to know there was much more to it than that. I'm not Lex's biggest fan, especially after the things you told me, but I never saw anything going on in that plant that led me to believe Luthorcorp was the cause of all those problems. As far as what happened between you, that Davis Bloome and Jimmy goes, I can see how things got confusing. I should not have been so judgemental."

"Thank you, Daddy. That means a lot."

"Having said that, I think we were both at fault for the silence for the past five years."

"You're right, Dad. I shouldn't have let one disagreement come between us. God knows it was difficult for both of us after what happened to Mom." Her eyes were glistening with tears. "I'm sorry, Dad."

"I'm sorry too, Chloe, that I wasn't there for you when you needed me."

Oliver had once asked Gabe why he hadn't gone to Chloe's wedding to Jimmy. He would have thought the man would have been there to see his only daughter get married. Gabe had just told him that he had been unable to go for personal reasons, but he'd been so evasive that Oliver had done some digging and learned that the older man had been in hospital at the time with a mild heart attack and his doctor had advised against going. Oliver guessed that Gabe had never told his daughter, clearly thinking that the last thing she needed on her day was to worry about her old man.

The heart attack had been a warning of something more sinister. Gabe Sullivan had been diagnosed with a previously undetected heart condition which he'd apparently had since birth. It was another thing he'd refused to tell his daughter, especially after their disagreement. Chloe would be heartbroken if she knew the truth. She had already had to deal with the fact that her mother was mentally ill, although it wasn't hereditary as she'd first assumed; she didn't need to deal with her father's condition which was being managed quite well with daily medication.

"So, honey, what brought you to Star City?"

Oliver saw Chloe glance at him and nibble on her lower lip. She seemed to take a deep breath.

"Actually, I'm taking a couple of weeks off work. Um, a friend of mine passed away last week and I ... I needed to take a breather."

Gabe looked at her sympathetically.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. Was it sudden?"

Oliver flashed him a look and shook his head slightly, but he'd already asked the question.

"Uh, yes, actually. She, um, she ..." Chloe faltered. Gabe's eyes widened as he read between the lines. He quickly moved his chair around to put an arm around her, hugging her.

"Me and my big mouth," he said. "Chloe ..."

"Dad, it's okay. I mean, not everything's okay, but I guess it made me realise that I needed to make some changes in my life." She looked over at Oliver and smiled. "And I wanted to see you. Make up for basically not talking to you for so long."

"Honey ..."

"Dad, my friend ... she didn't have a great relationship with her mom and I realised I don't want that with you. I didn't want you to think that I was angry with you for speaking your mind. I mean, just because you're my dad, it doesn't mean we're always going to agree on things. I forgot that."

"That's true," Gabe said, smiling at her, ruffling her hair.

"Dad," she sighed in exasperation, putting a hand up to smooth her hair.

He chuckled. "I really like the way you wear your hair, Chloe. You've turned into a beautiful young woman. Well, you were always beautiful to me, but maybe that's because I'm biased."

"I don't think you're biased," Oliver told him. "She is beautiful."

"Now who's biased?" Gabe shot back.

Chloe cocked an eyebrow at Oliver. He just grinned.

"Okay, so I'm biased. Sue me," he said, lifting her hand and kissing it.

"About time you two got your act together," Gabe smiled.

Chloe's jaw dropped.

"You told my dad before me?" she asked.

"Um," Oliver said, feeling himself flushing. What was it about Chloe that made him feel like a horny teenager on one hand and on the other a kid with his first crush? He felt like dragging his foot over the floor, dropping his head and saying 'aw shucks'.

"Oliver has done nothing but talk about you for the past, what, four years now?" Gabe said. "I knew he was in love with you the moment he started mentioning your name every five minutes."

Chloe was grinning at him. Oliver ducked his head to try and hide his flaming cheeks. It wasn't so much that he minded Gabe knowing his feelings for Chloe; it was more that she now knew he'd been acting like a lovesick adolescent.

"You are so cute," she mouthed, squeezing his hand.

Cute. Right. That wasn't unmanly at all, he thought. His phone rang and he picked it up.

"Mr Queen," his assistant practically barked into the phone. "Are you aware you have a board meeting in less than an hour?"

"Uh, I forgot," he said. "I'll be there in thirty."

Chloe chuckled at him. "Saved by the bell, huh?"

He pecked her on the nose. "I'll get you for that one later, miss," he told her.

"I'm looking forward to it," she whispered.

Oliver left the house, driving just a couple miles above the posted speed limit, hoping he wouldn't run into any over-zealous cops along the way. He made it to the underground parking without incident and almost ran the rest of the way to the executive elevator in Queen Towers.

His assistant, Kelley, greeted him with a cup of hot coffee.

"Good thing I pushed the time back twenty minutes," she said, handing him a folder. "You have about twenty minutes to read and familiarise yourself with the items on the agenda. I would suggest that you try not to let yourself get distracted." She started to turn away, then looked at him. "Oh, and I would be prepared to answer any questions about your latest conquest. I have no doubt that the board will bring up some concerns about your relationship. Especially since it appeared in the newspaper."

"Any idea who leaked it to the press?" he asked.

"Some guy who clearly had an axe to grind. According to my source at the Sentinel, the man was ranting about rich pricks who thought they could do whatever they liked because they were rich and famous."

Oliver groaned to himself. The same asshole who had complained about having to wait for an hour at the restaurant. He was clearly one of those 'special people' who had a sense of entitlement, never mind logic. Oliver had done nothing wrong, considering he'd actually made a reservation. He'd known the restaurant was not at fault as the staff had always been totally professional.

Sighing, he sat in his office and studied the material. There was an item on the agenda about a proposed new acquisition. He was sure the board would be more interested in the profits than in doing its due diligence to find out more about the company they were proposing to purchase. Oliver scratched a note in the margin, reminding himself to do some research into the company.

He made some notes and added his own items to the agenda. By the time he was done Kelley had called him in to the board meeting. Oliver went into the board room.

The meeting went as predicted. The other members were not happy with what they called his 'stall tactics' and were eager to press ahead with the acquisition, but he managed to win that round.

They covered other items on the agenda, then called for new business.

"I'd like to know about this young woman you were photographed with in the paper," Bill Rawlings said, tossing the paper on the table. "I'd hate to think you were sullying the name of Queen Industries with yet another of your dalliances."

"Chloe is not a 'dalliance'," Oliver shot back. "Nor is she a 'conquest'. She's the woman I love and I intend to marry her, if she'll have me."

The other five members stared at him, clearly taken aback with his sudden announcement.

"Rather sudden, isn't it?" Rawlings asked.

"Not really. Chloe and I have known each other for years. I was just too much of a coward to admit how I felt to her. Now if you don't mind, my relationship with Chloe is none of your goddamn business. She doesn't deserve to be put under scrutiny just because you're worried about Queen Industries' reputation. Chloe is smart, beautiful and has more integrity than any woman I've ever known." Apart from her cousin, he thought, but that wasn't any of their business either.

So there, he thought. His words were greeted with silence.

"Now, I have one new item I would like to discuss. Since Queen Industries is a technology company, I propose a new project, dedicated to measures to prevent and stop cyber bullying."

He had been thinking about the idea since he'd learned the truth about Kathleen. He was sure one of his scientists could come up with a way to filter out cyber bullying on social networking sites. After all, bullies only did it as long as they could get a rise out of someone. If the hate mail never reached the recipient, the bullies lost an outlet.

Well, it worked in his head. He just wasn't sure it would work in practice. It was a start though.

The board meeting concluded late that afternoon. The long meetings were the primary reason he tended to avoid them if at all possible, but even he knew there were some things he couldn't avoid.

By the time he left the office, the commuter traffic had already started to build up and he was forced to slow to a snail's pace. He used the voice command on his cellphone to dial Chloe's phone.

"Hey," she said, clearly having seen it was him. "Where are you?"

"Stuck in traffic," he sighed. "What are you doing?"

"Relaxing by the pool," she replied.

"What are you wearing?" he asked in a low, sexy tone.

Chloe chuckled. "You'll just have to find out when you get here, won't you?"

He pouted. "No fair."

"Well, I'm sure that dirty mind of yours will help you while away the time until you get here."

"You are evil, Chloe," he answered, not even dignifying the dirty mind comment with an answer.

The trouble was, she was right. Driving at such a slow pace gave his mind plenty of time to conjure up sexy images of Chloe in a swimsuit. A bikini in a dark red that would look great with her fair skin. One that showed off that sexy body yet hid enough so as not to look slutty. Not that Chloe could ever be slutty. Well, except for that one time when she'd been infected with a parasite from the caves, but then that hadn't been her fault. And it wasn't so much slutty, from Clark's description, as way too over-confident.

A blaring horn had him looking up, realising the traffic had moved ahead of him. Oliver pressed down on the accelerator and the car moved ahead.

Half an hour later he parked the car beside the garage and went into the house, dropping his briefcase on the table, along with his keys, then pulled at his tie as he made his way out to the pool area.

He spotted Chloe floating underneath the surface and stripped off his jacket as he sat on one of the loungers. His girlfriend emerged from the water and stood on the edge, running a hand through her wet hair. Then she turned and smiled at him.

Oliver's jaw dropped.

Chloe was not only wearing a bikini, but it surpassed any fantasy he might have had. Even though it was tasteful in the way it covered her breasts and her butt, it still showed her gorgeous figure. Chloe had lost a little bit of weight since the last time he'd seen her naked; he'd never seen a problem with her figure before, but if it made her happy he wasn't about to complain.

"Ollie?" Chloe asked, looking a little concerned.

"Chloe, you're ... I ..."

She frowned. "Hmm, Oliver Queen, lost for words. That has to be a first," she quipped.

Deciding she had got away with enough teasing for the day, he pulled her down to his lap.

"You're in trouble now, Miss Sullivan."

She grinned. "Am I?"

"You bet you are," he returned, one hand at the back of her neck to pull her toward him.

He kissed her, tracing the edge of her mouth with his tongue.

"I'm getting your clothes all wet," she said softly.

"So?" He didn't care. All he wanted was to kiss her, mark her, make her his.

All his exhaustion from the long day of meeting with boring old farts who couldn't negotiate their way out of paper bags vanished once she was in his arms. It was like all the tension he didn't know he'd been holding in disappeared the moment he tasted her sweetness.

Somehow he ended up rolling over onto his side with her still in his arms. He kissed her again and again, feeling more and more aroused. Chloe seemed to be feeling the same way as she squirmed against him.

"Ollie," she gasped.

He looked at her, perplexed.

"What?"

"I thought you wanted to take this slowly?"

"Um, yeah, I did."

"You were practically dry-humping me."

"Was not," he mumbled.

"Were too," she said, chuckling.

For about the third time, or maybe it was the fourth time – he'd lost count, he felt himself blushing. Get a grip, Queen, he told himself, sighing. You're a grown man, for crying out loud.

"Ollie?"

"I'm sorry, honey, you're right. I did want to take this slow and making out by the pool ..." He sighed.

"Babe, don't get me wrong. Making out is nice, but things were starting to get a little hot there and I don't know about you, but to me that's not taking it slow."

He huffed. As much as he wanted to protest it, he was the one who had set the ground rules and he couldn't exactly break them just because he was getting a little, no a lot carried away.

He pulled away as gently as he could and stood up.

"You're right. I should go and change." He scratched his lip and looked at her. "So, do you want to go out for dinner, or ..."

"Actually, I asked the housekeeper if she could make lasagne. I know it's your favourite."

He nodded. "It is." He bent down and kissed her quickly hoping to avoid the temptation of those delectable lips, then pulled away reluctantly, going inside to change his clothes.


	13. Chapter 13

XIII

Chloe watched him leave, sighing softly. The moment he'd pulled her down to his lap, she had known things were going to get ... well, maybe complicated wasn't the word, but it had certainly heated up between them.

She couldn't deny that she had wanted him. Even if common sense had told her it was still too soon, everything he'd done so far was just proving the depth of his feelings for her.

Finding her father out on the terrace that morning had been a pleasant surprise, even if she had been a little taken aback at the apparent closeness between her boyfriend and her father. Anyone who didn't know Oliver would think he was trying to impress them with his show of nonchalance but despite his considerable wealth, the Oliver she had known for the past eight years had never been one to put on airs. He was just as comfortable in a pair of jeans, albeit designer ones, as he was in a suit and tie. He could fit in practically any social situation.

No, she hadn't been angry at him for calling her father, nor for the easy way the two men talked. Just surprised that her father seemed to know more about her relationship with Oliver than she had.

She'd had a long talk with Gabe after Oliver had left to attend his board meeting. They'd cleared the air considerably. She still hadn't been able to enlighten him as to what had really happened between her and Jimmy and he hadn't asked. It was a subject that wasn't so much avoided as it just didn't come up. Chloe realised they both had come to the understanding that life was too short for them to hold any supposed grudges simply because their opinions had clashed.

Chloe had been shocked when her father had confessed to having had a heart attack the night before her wedding and that that was the reason he hadn't come. She had been even more dismayed to learn he had been diagnosed with a heart condition that she had never known about. He'd assured her that as long as he watched his diet and his stress levels, and exercised regularly, if not too strenuously, he'd be fine. Her other concern was, of course, whether she was likely to inherit it, but it didn't appear to be one of those conditions that could be passed down.

All in all it had been a good day. After breakfast, Gabe had offered to take her shopping and they'd ended the afternoon with a visit to her mother at the institution. While Moira had been unresponsive for the most part, Chloe thought she'd seen a flicker of understanding in her mother's eyes. She doubted if there would ever be a cure for her mother's illness, but at least she wasn't suffering, and certainly wasn't being experimented on.

When her father had dropped her off at the house, Chloe had decided to relax out by the pool. The bikini had been an impulse buy and she'd never expected she would be wearing it. She could distinctly recall packing a one-piece suit in her case but it appeared a 'good fairy' by the name of Lane-Kent had taken it upon herself to pull out the one-piece and pack the bikini instead.

She had to admit that it hadn't been a bad idea after all, judging from Oliver's reaction. Making out with him had been nice; more than nice, but she hadn't wanted to get carried away and do something they weren't ready for. It wasn't that she was gun-shy, but she still remembered the night they'd had sex and that had definitely been rushed. It was nice to just step back and enjoy being in love without the pressure of sex and wondering what their future held.

Chloe went upstairs to shower and change into shorts and a light cotton blouse. It had been warm all day. Not blazing hot, but warm enough for her to need lighter clothes. She checked out her reflection in the mirror before heading downstairs, knowing she at least looked cool and comfortable. Hopefully that meant Ollie had cooled off somewhat as well.

He looked up at her and smiled as she entered his study. He'd been reading something on his laptop.

"Don't you ever stop working?" she admonished.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I just needed to check my emails. You hungry?"

"Starved," she admitted.

"Good," he answered, taking her hand and walking with her to the dining room.

Chloe could imagine a lot of dinner parties being held in this room. The table was long enough to sit at least twelve. It was walnut, its finished surface so glossy it was as if it was made of glass. Chloe ran her finger along the top, loving the smooth texture.

Oliver held a chair for her at one end of the table and waited until she sat down before he sat at the head of the table. He sniffed appreciatively at the contents of the steaming dish on the hot plate. Chloe found herself chuckling at his expression.

"Well, no one could accuse you of being a picky eater," she said as he picked up a floret of steamed broccoli, yelping as if he'd burned his fingers.

"I love broccoli," he told her, biting off a small piece.

"I can tell." She wrinkled her nose. "You know, when I was little ... I think I was about six, my mom cooked some broccoli, only it was like way over-cooked. You know, where it got all mushy. She put some on my plate and I refused to eat it. We got into practically a screaming match because I wouldn't eat it and she wasn't going to let me leave the table until I did."

"I can't imagine you having a tantrum over veges. It's one thing I always noticed about you and Lois. You're not like other girls who just pick at their food, but you don't go overboard either."

"Oh, I was a brat," she assured him.

He grinned, taking the lid off another dish, which turned out to be the lasagne, and cut a medium sized piece, placing it on her plate. Chloe helped herself to some salad and steamed vegetables.

"Speaking of my mom," Chloe began, "we went to visit her today."

"Oh? How was she? I haven't been checking up on her as regularly as I should."

"She seemed fine. Still unresponsive."

He frowned. "You know, I have to wonder how she got that way. I mean, if your mom committed herself when you were a kid, how did she end up catatonic?"

Chloe had thought about that a hundred times since learning the truth about her mother's illness. She had read countless theories on psychological disorders, from patients being given the wrong medication which would make their condition worse, or would create a whole new condition. She had tried to get her hands on the notes Lex's doctor had made when they'd been able to bring her mother out of her mental state for such a short time, but, Lex being Lex, the notes had either been destroyed or hidden. Chloe opted for the latter.

She wondered if perhaps her mother's meteor ability had had something to do with it as well. Since her mother could compel anyone to do anything as long as she touched something of theirs, who was to say she couldn't have compelled herself into that state?

"I don't know. I tried to get the notes from Lex's files when he used that drug to bring her out of it, but I couldn't find anything."

"Yeah, I imagine Lex would cover his tracks well." Oliver reached over and squeezed her hand gently. "I wish there was some way to help your mom, but I've had people look into it and they've all said there's nothing they can do. She's been on the meds for too long and they have no idea what damage it would do. Besides, I'm not Lex. I'm not going to have them do something to her that she can't consent to. Or you or your dad."

"Thank you, by the way," she said softly. "We ended up having a long talk. We kind of danced around the subject of why we didn't talk for so long, but I got to spend most of the day with him and it was nice. He told me about his heart and that you knew about it."

She had at first been a little upset that Oliver hadn't told her, but Gabe had explained that he had asked Oliver not to say anything. It told her that her boyfriend respected her father enough to stay silent on the matter.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"I know," she said. "You were respecting his privacy. I may not agree with it, but I do understand."

"So you had a good day?"

"I did." She looked at him. "So how was your board meeting?"

He told her about the meeting, which sounded very dull, making her glad she wasn't a corporate executive. She liked her job as a reporter. Then again, she'd always had a talent for it. She still remembered running in to her mother telling her about the story she had written when she was about eight. As much as it was a good memory it was also a painful one as Moira had left shortly after.

She'd told Clark once that she'd come downstairs one morning to find her father trying to make breakfast. It wasn't that she lied to him as much as she'd repressed the actual memory of that day, as if time had stopped in that moment and restarted with her coming down the stairs the next morning. It wasn't until Lex had had her mother transferred from the hospital in Metropolis so he could run experiments on her abilities, that she had learned the truth.

"They brought up the photo in the paper," Oliver said, telling her exactly what the board members had said.

She looked at him. "Ollie, it doesn't matter what anyone thinks, okay?"

"It could drive stock prices down," he pointed out.

She knew he was just pointing out the realities of the situation and while she understood it could affect the public image of the company if people got the wrong impression, she wasn't about to admonish him for it.

She got up and went to sit in his lap. He automatically wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Ollie, sweetie, I hate to belabour the obvious, but there's nothing you can do about people's opinions. Besides, if the stock didn't plummet because you were going around acting like Chuck Biederman on a good day, then it's not going to do the same if we start appearing as a couple. If anything, it might make your stock price go up if they see you settled with someone. It does add to your respectability."

He cocked an eyebrow at her. Chuck Biederman was a well-known actor who had been fired more often than not from shows he was acting in because he was often turning up to the set drunk or stoned. A year or two earlier he had been arrested for possession of narcotics and told by the presiding judge that if he didn't attend compulsory rehab he would be sent to prison. He'd kept a low profile ever since.

"Chuck Biederman? You're comparing me to the likes of a Hollywood has-been who has spent more time in rehab than he's been on screen?"

"On a good day, I said," she reminded him.

"Yeah, but still ... the comparison does irk a little."

"Well, you were a little out of control for a while there."

He huffed. "Okay, you might have a point. You know, you can be brutal when you're being honest."

"Which would you rather have? Me hiding things from you or being straightforward with you? Besides, you're not that Oliver Queen anymore."

"So what am I?" he asked softly, his brown-eyed gaze locked with hers.

"The man I love," she answered simply. "Handsome, gorgeous, sexy, brilliant ..."

"Sexy?"

"Yup."

"I think you might be exaggerating just a tad. Besides, you're the sexy one here."

"Nuh-uh," she said, pecking him briefly on the nose.

"Yuh-huh!" he replied, tickling her by jabbing her lightly at her waist making her giggle and squirm.

Chloe retaliated by tickling him back. He just smirked at her.

"Won't work," he laughed. "I'm not ticklish."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really."

"Well, then, I'm just going to have to do something else to make you squirm, aren't I?" she responded cheekily, slipping her hand between them to palm him through his pants.

He groaned. "Don't you ... Chloe, don't. I mean it."

She continued, using her hand to find the outline of his shaft. He made a noise that sounded almost like a whine, squirming on the chair as if to try and get away. Chloe could feel him hardening beneath her touch and grinned.

He suddenly picked her up off his lap and planted her on the floor, his brown eyes glinting.

"You are looking to get punished Miss Sullivan."

Chloe watched him as he got up, sweeping the dinner dishes aside, wondering if she should make a run for it. As soon as he picked her up and plopped her on the table, she knew she should have made a run for it.

He placed his hands on her knees, pushing them apart as he stood between her thighs, his arms around her.

"You are a very bad girl," he told her.

Chloe's answer was cut off by his lips on hers, his tongue swiftly demanding entry. She could feel the stubble on his cheek as it rubbed lightly against hers, but she didn't care. Her world had suddenly became centred just on him; the way his lips felt on hers, the way his body moulded to hers. It felt like everything that had gone before was just the rehearsal before the big opening act. Even when they'd tried before, it had never been like this.

Chloe wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer. She dearly wanted to just lay back and let him have his wicked way with her. Like all their rules about taking it slowly had just gone out the window. She wanted him and knew he wanted her too.

Suddenly he pulled away and she watched him, puzzled as he backed off.

"Uh, that was not such a good idea," he said breathlessly.

"Why?" she asked, frowning at him.

"You know why. Chloe, I didn't want to rush this."

"I'm not feeling rushed," she said, her bottom lip dropping in a pout.

He growled. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Pout like that. It makes me want to take that lip and ..."

She could imagine what he was going to say, but guessed it would involve nibbling of some kind.

He ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up a little.

"Uh, I should go suit up and patrol," he said.

Chloe slid off the table and onto her feet. "Want some help? I could be Watchtower; you know, watch your back, warn you if anyone's going to get the drop on you."

She could see him thinking it over for a few seconds, but then he shook his head.

"Um, thanks honey, but I really don't want to get distracted. And believe me, you are very, um, distracting."

Chloe sighed softly, shrugging as he went out, obviously to change into his Green Arrow gear. She turned to clear the dishes and take them out to the kitchen, but the housekeeper came out.

"No, Miss Chloe, you don't need to do that."

"I don't mind," she said. "Really."

"You are Mr Queen's guest," Jean Baker told her. "Shoo!"

Chloe left the dining room, going out to the terrace to enjoy the last of the sun's rays. Oliver came out, dressed in his green leathers.

"I'm not sure what time I'll be back. It depends on how bad it is out there."

"I could still monitor you," she offered.

"Thanks," he smiled as he bent and kissed her on the cheek, "but I think I'm big enough and ugly enough to take care of myself."

He left again and Chloe sighed once more.

"Definitely big enough and definitely not ugly," she muttered.

Her phone rang and she glanced at the screen.

"Hey Lois."

"Hey cuz. How's it going?"

"It's not," she moaned.

"What do you mean it's not?"

"Well, it's like every time we get close to ... you know, it's like he chickens out."

"Do you really think Ollie would chicken out on you?"

"Um, I dunno. It's just ... he told me he wanted to take things slowly. Go out on a few dates. I guess he wants me to be sure that this is really what I want. I love him, Lo. I've never been more sure of anything in my life. Why isn't that enough?"

"Oh honey," Lois said sympathetically. "It is more than enough. But you know what men are like when it comes to their feelings. They'd sooner take a bullet than actually admit to anything emotional. Well, maybe not in Clark's case, but then again, you know how much of a sap he is."

"I heard that," Clark retorted in the background, clearly not out patrolling. Then again, since he had super-hearing he didn't need to be out as much as Oliver.

"You were meant to, baby," Lois returned. "Look, Chlo, the point is, I think Ollie's just trying to do the right thing by you and not do something you might regret later. I mean, that's kind of how you wound up in this situation in the first place, isn't it?"

Chloe bit her lip. "I guess you're right."

Clark came on the line.

"Chloe, I know you. You're probably starting to doubt Oliver's feelings for you, but don't, okay? I've had enough conversations to know he's completely crazy about you. As crazy as you are about him. Maybe he wants to take it slow because he feels like he has something to prove to you."

"What do you mean, Clark?"

"Well, he's got his reputation preceding him, doesn't he? I mean, don't tell me when you first met him that you didn't think he was nothing but a playboy who didn't take things seriously. You know better, of course, but let's face it, he's never had the best luck with women. Maybe this is not just about him trying to do the right thing but also him not really knowing what to do."

Chloe thought about that for a second. It seemed like Clark had a point. Oliver had never really been in love before. He'd had relationships, but he'd never been as emotionally invested in them as he was with her.

"Thanks Clark. You've really given me a new perspective."

"Glad I could help. Now, if you two have finished gabbing, I want to steal my wife for some 'alone time' if you get my drift."

"Loud and clear," she returned. "Just spare me the gory details, 'K?"

"Okay."


End file.
